06/05/06 Chardonnay Pt. 1

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. One of the most popular white grape varietals is without a doubt Chardonnay. On today's program we're going to take a closer look at the Chardonnay. In the emerging new wine world of the 1980's wines began to be named for the grapes that made them and something important happened Chardonnay. Known to very few by its traditional geographic names, Chablis, Montrachet, Corton-Charlemagne or Meursault, it began to be labeled after the grape it was made from. Consumers find it easy to drink because very often it is low in acidity and it doesn't have a very strong fragrance. Wine grape growers find it nothing if not adaptable - not horribly difficult to grow and quite profitable. Winemaker's seem to enjoy the wide range of winemaking techniques they are able to apply to Chardonnay. It is readily blended with grapes varietals like Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. But I find that the Chardonnay's of today are becoming quite similar to one another especially those that put a major emphasis on the use of malolactic fermentation and oak barrels. I'm not certain if most people really like the taste of Chardonnay, or if they are even sure what it tastes like. So, good or bad, thanks to that extraordinary 1980's Chardonnay boom, in both the United States and Australia, Chardonnay is often another term for white wine and it is grown and made in almost every wine region of the world. Tune in tomorrow as we continue this discussion of Chardonnay, and thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.