What To Drink Now: Christmas Chardonnay

We drink a lot of Chardonnay in my house. Like many wine drinkers that have helped make this the number one selling white in America, it is an easy go to for us on many nights, pairing well with our typical dinners of salad, fish, chicken or hot buttered popcorn at a movie (the ideal pairing,) and being a very vineyard friendly grape, can adapt nicely to many styles of wine making.  My sweetie and I have different tastes in Chardonnay, he liking a more buttery, oak aged Chardonnay and me liking something steely and unoaked, allowing us to constantly seek wines that may please both our palates without too much oak or the wine being too mineral rich, or either of us making a happy compromise to enjoy the others favorite style.  Here are a few we have found that will pair nicely with anything from roasted chicken, broiled fish or pork tenderloin this holiday, just in time to be served at your festive gatherings. Some selections were sent for editorial consideration.

If you are looking for a wine that defines the versatility and approachability of California Chardonnay open a bottle of  Franciscan Estate Napa Valley Chardonnay, filled with layers of fresh citrus, stone fruit and honeysuckle with just the right amount of sweet cream balanced with a touch of herbal, mineral notes to keep this wine rich and balanced without being overly complex.

Winderlea in Willamette Valley is best known for producing stellar Pinot, but they also successfully farm delicious Chardonnay on their Dundee Hills estate, as well as fruit from the Chehalem Mountains and McMinnville AVAs.  Golden apple, citrus and herbal notes fill the wine that is aged for 10 months in both partially new French oak and stainless steel, with the goal to keep the wine fresh and satisfying, capturing the personality of the valley.  Continue reading "What To Drink Now: Christmas Chardonnay"