Why do i like chardonnay

Leave a Reply Cancel reply You must be logged in to post a comment. May 29, tipple. January 13, tipple. Subscribe to our Newsletter. Follow on Instagram. New posts will not be retrieved. Diacetyl is byproduct of a process called malolactic fermentation, or MLF.

Grapes contain malic acid, which tastes like tart green apples. When a good bacteria called Oenococcus oeni converts that malic acid into lactic acid, either naturally or by a winemaker addition, that green-apple note softens or disappears, while diacety—the buttery note—increases.

Winemakers encourage this conversion to reduce the perception of sharp acidity in favor of the rounder, creamier lactic acid, with notes of, well, butter. This white grape has a long, noble history, which starts with its Old World roots in Burgundy. Some of most coveted, and therefore expensive, Chardonnays in the world come from this region in France.

Eventually, the grape made its way to California, where it became the most widely planted white variety in the state. America fell in love with Chardonnay because it produces a wine that appeals to a wide audience. A winemaker who wants their Chardonnay to taste crisp and bright often uses stainless steel to ferment and store the wine before bottling.

When a winemaker seeks to create a fuller-bodied wine with secondary flavors of vanilla and spice, they can ferment and age the wine in oak, or ferment in stainless steel and age in oak afterward.

Oaked Chardonnay often undergoes partial or full MLF while in barrel, as well as sees contact with the lees dead yeast. The vanilla and spice flavors, plus round, creamy texture from micro-oxygenation, lees contact, and MLF produce a wine that is the stylistic opposite of unoaked Chardonnay.

The differences between wines of different regions are largely due to climate and winemaking traditions. Thus, we can break down Chardonnay between cool versus warm regions and old world versus new world, within that context. This French native hails from the Burgundy region. Barrel samples show how a wine is developing. As a winemaker, you can really transform Chardonnay more than any other grape.

I think because there have been some very common styles made, we paint the whole grape with that brush. But I think Chardonnay can be very versatile, and of course it is the principal grape in Champagne. You can make it oaky, you can make it non-oaky, and you can make it into a dessert wine.

It can make still or sparkling wines, it can be light and elegant or rich and full-bodied. In short, Chardonnay is a Chameleon and there is something for everyone. This all means that when you are choosing your Chardonnay, looking at where it comes from is key. A Chablis can be all wet stone minerality whereas Napa Valley can create bread-and-butter pudding in a glass and there are a million versions of this one grape in-between.

If you prefer your white wines to be full of crisp green apples, lemony zing and flinty fresh then stick to cooler climate Chardonnays from Chablis, Austria or Ontario.

Acidity decreases when the temperature rises so cooler climates will lead to leaner, steelier, more refreshing whites. Warmer regions tend to bring out the rounder texture of the wine, which winemakers may choose to enhance creating creamy, buttery Chardonnays. Oak aging can add flavours of butter, vanilla, coconut, baked tart and hazelnut and none of that is a bad thing. It just comes down to what you personally enjoy.