Chardonnay Styles: 3 Types of Chardonnay Wine

1. Crisp Chardonnays These are noticeably dry Chardonnays with some apparent crispness. Often producedin cooler growing regions or in cooler vintages. May be light or full in body, and range from subtle to assertive in character Examples: Carneros, Anderson Valley (California); Chablis (France); Friuli-Venezia Giulia (Italy); Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Pemberton (Australia) Food Pairing: Crisp Chardonnays are often at their best with simple preparations of pork, veal, poultry, pasta, fish and shellfish, as well as fried, mildly spicy and salty foods. See more specific food pairings

Crisp Chardonnay: Greg Norman Estates

2. Fruity Chardonnays Chardonnays with direct and obvious fruitiness (e.g. "fruit-driven"), usually coupled with a smooth palate impression and modest complexity, some due to oak. The most popular- and populous- Chardonnay style. Examples: Lake County, San Luis Obispo County, Sonoma Valley, Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Mendocino County (California); Columbia Valley (Washington); Macon-Villages, Pouilly Fuisse, Vins de Pays (France); Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige (Italy); Padthaway, Coonawarra (Australia). Food Pairing: Fruity Chardonnays usually complement most low-vinegar salads; mildly spiced vegetarian dishes; traditional sandwhiches; richer-sauced fish, pork, veal, poultry, pasta, rice, risotto and bean dishes. See more specific food pairings

Fruity Chardonnay: Chateau St. Jean

3. Very Complex Chardonnays Chardonnays with a wide range of aromas and flavors, and intrinsic character, which may derive from many sources: wine making processes, careful belending, excellent vineyards or sites, or unusually fine vintages. Examples: Santa Barbara County, Russian River Valley, Santa Cruz Mountains, Monterey, Napa Valley (California); Meursault, chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, chablis Grand Cru (France); Lombardy, Peidmont, Tuscany (Italy); Hunter Valley, Margaret River (Australia); Stellenbosch (South Africa); Auckland (New Zealand). Food Pairing: Very complex Chardonnays call for richer foods, including duck, lamb, beef, egg, chciken and pork dishes, and creamier, more pungent flavored cheeses. See more specific food pairings

Complex Chardonnay: Chappellet Winery

Influences on Chardonnay's Taste & Style

Cooler sites and cool vintages often yield more delicate, crisp, apple pear and citrus fruit flavored chardonnays; warmer sites and vintages yield riper, softer, peach and pineapple-flavored ones. Clones, rootstock, vine training site/location all play crucial roles in determining the character of every Chardonnay.

So do winemaking and wine aging: The use of native/wild yeast, barrel fermentaion, malolactic fermentation, lees aging stirring, and/or new oak aging greatly influences the flavor spectrum, style, and price of the wines.

• Barrel Fermentation (BF): Fermentation in wood barrels, small casks or puncheons, which helps soften the wine and integrate its flavors. Barrel fermented Chardonnays often have aromas/flavors of banana, hops, caramel, cereal grain and wheat flakes.
   
• Lees Aging, Aging Sur Lies: Aging a wine on its post-fermentation sediment (lees) in order to enhance its texture, longevity and flavor complexity, Flavors developed may include baked apple, baked bread, hazelnut, honey and aged cheese. Lees stirring is called batonnage.
   
• Malolactic Fermentation (ML): The natural conversion of malic acid to the softer lactic acid, which softens a wine and adds flavor complexity (butter, butter-scotch). ML may occur spontaneously, be induced or be prevented altogether.
   
• Oak Aging: Chardonnay is aged in oak containers to help develope its texture and flavors and to add oak character (toast, smoky oak, vanilla, coconut), particulalrly when the oak is new.

Next Page: Pairing Chardonnay with Food