Chardonnay is universally loved by most of the alcohol-consuming world. If you want the perfect mood-setting drink to accompany your dinner party, you can’t go wrong with this dry white wine.
Chardonnay can accompany a variety of foods like cheese, fish, and chicken. Of course, it is just as delicious without food - although we would not recommend replacing meals with a bottle of chardonnay just yet! The drink’s versatility comes from having a variable flavor dependent on several factors, including the grape’s climate and the techniques used to ferment the wine.
But how do you know which chardonnay is right for you? After all, no two chardonnays taste precisely the same. To help you make a decision, we’ll be discussing some of the things you should consider before picking a bottle off the shelf.
Check out the rest of the article below.
What Are the Main Flavors in Chardonnay?
A chardonnay is never just one flavor. Usually, you can pick up on a primary flavor (created by the grape) and a secondary flavor (created by the fermentation process).
Primary flavor
From lemon zest and baked apple to chalky minerality and tropical fruits like pineapple, chardonnay possesses many flavors, sometimes referred to as notes. The reasons for the expansive range of flavors are variable climates and differing harvest dates. For example, more citrus notes mean the grapes were cultivated in a cooler climate or harvested earlier in the year.
Later harvest and warmer climates develop grapes with less acidity and more decadent fruity flavors.
Secondary flavor
Chardonnay also has secondary flavors that come from the winemaking process. When chardonnay is fermented in an oak barrel, it creates flavors like coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. In addition, American oak can taste like toffee and popcorn, whereas French oak makes gentle nuttiness and slightly smokey flavors. Other factors that affect the flavors and their intensity include the shape of the wood (barrels, chips, or staves), toast levels, and length of time in contact with the oak.
Things to Consider When Buying Chardonnay
When it comes to buying chardonnay, you need to bear in mind a whole range of factors.
Typically, you will find three main types of chardonnay in your local store. These common flavors are both popular and versatile. You can make your purchase based on the chardonnay taste or how well it goes with your meal.
To make the right decision, check out our complete list of considerations below.
Creamy oaked chardonnay
If you enjoy a full-bodied white, we suggest purchasing a creamy oaked chardonnay. These types of wines vary in taste. Some have a richer profile, such as grilled pineapple, lush tropical fruit, vanilla, and butterscotch. Others have a much lighter profile with hints of lemon curd, poached pear, baked apple, and a textural chalky minerality.
Creamy oaked chardonnay goes well with creamy dishes like mushroom risotto, mushroom stroganoff, lobster bisque, chicken, or leek and ham pie.
If you want to ensure you pick up a quality creamy oaked chardonnay, you should seek out a chardonnay that has been aged in oak or both fermented and aged in oak.
You can usually tell something has been oaked because the tasting descriptors will include crème brûlée, vanilla, coconut, baked apple, toasty oak, butter, brioche, butterscotch, or cream.
Also, although some chardonnay wines will age well for ten years, most oaked chardonnay wines should be consumed within 3–5 years of the vintage.
Citrusy unoaked chardonnay
You should try unoaked chardonnay if you enjoy light white wine with citrus and floral flavors. Unoaked chardonnay possesses a fruitier profile of fresh pineapple, yellow apple, and mango with floral hints of white flowers, green apple, citrus peel, and pear.
Unoaked chardonnay also pairs well with shellfish and sushi dishes, mussels, and clams. It also goes well with flaky white fish.
Several types of unoaked chardonnay will age well for up to a decade. However, most unoaked chardonnay should be drunk young.
Sparkling chardonnay: Blanc de Blancs
Chardonnay is the most popular sparkling wine - even more so than Champagne! Blancs wines range in taste from a richer profile of honeycomb, Meyer lemon, yellow apple, hazelnut, and toasted vanilla to a leaner, summertime profile of minerals, lemon zest, honeysuckle, and lime.
Blanc de Blancs wines match well with fried dishes like fried chicken and calamari. They also go well with oil-heavy pasta, garlic bread, and chicken kievs.
If you want to find a delicious sparkling chardonnay, look for 100% chardonnay Blanc de Blancs sparkling wines. Pay attention to the length of the tirage to find your style preference, and look for wines from villages in the Côtes de Blancs sub-region. Nobody else makes wine quite like this in the world!
Chardonnay Price Range
For a decent-tasting mid-range chardonnay, budget between $25 and $78. If you want to buy chardonnay for a special occasion, you can spend up to $220. You can find chardonnay for as little as $2, but this will not hold up very well compared to better bottles.
Some Chardonnay Buyers Also Ask
How many glasses of wine will get me drunk?
Two glasses of wine in an hour will make you legally drunk unless you weigh 250lbs or more. If you want to drink responsibly, drink wine slowly and alternate with lemonade or water.
How do I capitalize 'chardonnay'?
Weirdly enough, wines are capitalized based on origin. If a wine is named after a grape or something, it isn't capitalized. But if it's named after a region, then it is. This means that wines like 'chardonnay', 'merlot', and 'malbec' are not capitalized.
Is alcohol-free chardonnay available?
Yes - alcohol-free chardonnay is available. However, the variety of flavors you get from real chardonnays will not be present in alcohol-free chardonnay. You can find alcohol-free versions of most alcoholic drinks.