Discovering Chardonnay

“I don’t care for Chardonnay”.  When I hear this statement, my response is typically to ask which type ~  crisp and acidic? smooth and buttery? Or both?  … “uh, Chardonnay”.    

Chardonnay is one of the most diverse white wines out there, with flavors ranging from crisp (lemony citrus, green apple, passionfruit) to creamy (buttered popcorn, pie crust, crème brulee), and everything in between.  It took a lot of tasting to determine what I like, and don’t like about Chardonnay.  But, along the way I learned that asking a couple of key questions helps determine the likelihood of enjoying it. 

Oak or No Oak?

Oak: wines aged in oak typically have rich, intense flavors of butter, vanilla, and even caramel. 

No Oak:  wines processed in steel tanks, or neutral oak tend to be more crisp and acidic, with flavors of green apple, pear, lemon, and pineapple. 

Malolactic Fermintation (MLF)?

MLF is a winemaking process in which tart-tasting malic acid is converted to softer-tasting lactic acid.  It’s what gives the wine that smooth, rounder, creamy feel.  Chardonnays with larger amounts of MLF are your butter bombs. 

I’m sure you are thinking…those are great questions if I’m at a tasting.  But, when I’m staring at a wall of Chardonnay how do I know if it was done in oak or not, or has been through malo-whatever? That is a little more difficult to do. Another quick tip, take a look at what region the wine is from ~ this can be a good indicator as well:

Like crisp and acidic?  Look for wines from cooler climate regions like Sonoma Coast and Oregon

Like smooth and buttery?  Look for wines from warmer climate regions like Napa Valley and Paso Robles

So, for those of you who “don’t care for Chardonnay”, I challenge you to keep drinking!  You may discover one that hits just the right balance for your palate.   

Here’s some of our favorites:

Cuvaison S-Block

Domaine Drouhin “Arthur”

Simi Alexander Valley

Grgich Hills 

Wine for your favorite cheese

Cheese is without a doubt my favorite pairing with wine.  Our friend at AGirlintheSouth is running a monthly, “You Asked…” column.  So, of course I took the bait and asked about her favorite cheese – on its own, and to cook with.  Here are recommended pairings to her responses, which happen to be some of my personal favorites as well! 

 “…my favorite cheese is Blue Cheese”

Blue cheese is wonderfully sharp and salty, and goes well with a fruitier cabernet, or even a merlot.  If you really want to be different, pair it with a port.  Slice into some Roquefort, and pour a glass of our favorite, Heitz Ink Grade Port.  It would make a great beginning, or end to your meal!

The port is currently available in limited supply at select Spec’s stores

“I cook with parmesan more than any other cheese…”

As you start to build your Italian feast, open a Sangiovese or Sangiovese blend (like a Super Tuscan).  Sangiovese typically has high acidity and moderate alcohol, which makes it a great match with tomato-based dishes.  We enjoy Cosentino Sangiovese, especially with pizza!

“I must admit to also loving to cook with feta”

I must admit, I love cooking with feta, too.  One of my favorite go-to apps is feta whipped with basil, lemon, and pepper.  Spread this on a baguette, and pour a glass of Simi Sonoma County Chardonnay.  It is well balanced, without too much oak or citrus, and would let the feta remain the star of the meal.    

What's your favorite cheese and wine pairing?

Perfect pairings for your Memorial Day cookout

The original Memorial Day was on May 30, 1868 when people were urged to decorate the graves of soldiers who died in the Civil War. The date is believed to have been chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country. Today, Memorial Day Weekend marks the unofficial start of summer and many Americans observe the holiday with a barbecue.

Here are some of our favorite wines for a cookout. All of them are under $20 and are available at BevMo, Specs, Total Wine, and many other retail outlets.

Steak
Go with a Hess Select Cabernet Sauvignon. This was one of our first go-to wines and remains a favorite to this day. It's also on our list of Great Wines Under $20.

Pork
We're huge fans of Cycles Gladiator Pinot Noir, which won a blind taste test at our HalloWine party in 2010. It's a great match with Pork but is also enjoyable on its own.

Chicken
Simi Sonoma County Chardonnay is a good choice if chicken is on the menu. We often recommend this wine for gatherings because it is nicely balanced without too much oak or citrus.

Hamburgers
Our selection here is Cline Zinfandel. It's a repeat from last year's Memorial Day BBQ list, but it's also one of the few tasty Zins that's available at BevMo, Specs, and Total Wine.

Hot Dogs
Most of us will go for a beer if hot dogs are on the menu, but why not wine? Caymus Conundrum, a distinctive white blend, would actually make an excellent pairing. It's a perfect summer wine and we always try to keep some in the house.

National Moment of Remembrance
Let us not forget that Memorial Day is a time to remember all of the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. In 2000, Congress passed the National Moment of Remembrance Act. It calls on all Americans to pause at 3 pm local time on Memorial Day for a moment of silence to remember those who have died while serving our country.

After the moment of silence, consider raising a glass of something good to honor the memories of our fallen heroes.

Raymond Burr

Raymond Burr VineyardsOn our recent road trip through California Wine Country, we visited a number of new wineries recommended by fellow wine lovers.  One of these stops was a recommendation from our friend, Michele ~ Raymond Burr (yes, as in Perry Mason).  She discovered this place on a wine excursion to Napa/Sonoma, and we are so happy she shared it with us! 

Raymond Burr is a small production, 100% estate grown vineyard located in Healdsburg.  The tasting room is intimate, but has a great patio area with huge shade trees and wonderful views of the valley.  For those of you who are fans of the actor, you’ll enjoy all the memorabilia throughout ~ we focused more on the wine.  During our visit, Frank served us a tasting of their current releases of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, their Bordeaux-style blend “Quartet” and my personal favorite, Cab Franc.

2010 Chardonnay ($28) - Less than 313 cases produced

Portuguese style ~ crisp citrus flavors with a well-balanced creamy finish, without being buttery.  Great food wine.

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon ($38) – 91% cab, 9% Malbec

Smooth cab that is very drinkable on own, as well with a juicy steak.  Berry nose, with bold cab flavors slightly mellowed by the bright fruits of the Malbec.   Very tasty and excellent value (we brought some home!).

2010 Quartet ($44) – Bordeaux-style blend

Blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.  Bright fruit on the front palate, grows in intensity, and has a very smooth finish.  Universal food wine, and definite crowd pleaser.

2010 Cabernet Franc ($38) – 100% Cab Franc

No secret I am a fan of this varietal, and can be hard to find (good ones).  I was thrilled to see it!  Classic green pepper nose, light fruit forward flavors with smooth, well-balanced tannins and a hint of cinnamon on the finish.  Rich layers of great flavor – this one came home, too!

The wines are not distributed, but can be ordered online for shipping.  If you like big wines, it’s worth ordering on recommendation alone ~ thanks Michele for discovering and sharing this great find!

 Jeff and Sally outside Raymond Burr tasting room

Do You Remember Your First Time?

Do you remember the first time you had a great bottle of wine?  Ours was a chardonnay.  During the panic of Y2K, a group of us worked New Year’s Eve to address issues with the millennium bug (bust).  As a thank you, the company gave us a sizeable allowance to expense a personal dinner.  For two poor kids in Boston, that was some treat!  We totally took advantage and dined well out of our league.  A dinner at that level we knew required wine, but we had no clue what to order.  Fortunately the nice “wine guy” guided us to a bottle of outstanding Grgich Hills Chardonnay.

Mike Grgich photo from grgich.comAt the time, we knew nothing about the wine.  We just knew it tasted damn good.  On our first trip to Napa, Grgich Hills was a required stop.  During this visit we learned just why the wine was so special – the winemaker.  Mike Grgich gained international recognition at the historic Paris Tasting of ’76.  The chardonnay he produced at Chateau Montelena took home top prize among the white wines – shocking the French. 

Over the years, our love for this chardonnay has not wavered.  Not only is it an excellent wine, but every time we pop a bottle we recall our many wine adventures and discoveries since that first bottle.  For our anniversary, Jeff gave me the perfect gift ~ 2009 Grgich Hills Chardonnay.  It didn’t take long to pop open the bottle.  This wine has flavors of citrus fruits, balanced with notes of minerality. It does not undergo malolactic fermentation, preserving the acidity. It was a perfect pairing with our meal, and our stories. 

Grgich Hills will always be our first shared bottle.