06/07/06 Chardonnay Styles

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 talk about the different styles of Chardonnay. Style in wine is a reference to the characteristics of the wine's flavor profile. Many decisions are made during the winemaking process that greatly influence the style of the wine. When should the grapes be harvested? How acidic or sweet should they be when picked? Should they be fermented in oak or stainless steel? If oak, then what kind of oak? Styles of Chardonnay in particular will be very diverse and it is not always simple to understand what a particular region's style is. So perhaps the simple approach is to describe the general characteristics of the three most common styles of Chardonnay. First the ones that are lighter in body or texture and usually lighter in color, will have more of an emphasis on fruit. They will be a bit crisper with nice crunchy acidity. They smell and taste of green apple or citrus. The medium bodied, medium yellow colored chards, are usually influenced by an oak barrel and will smell and taste more spicy with tropical fruit notes and buttery toasty characteristics. Those deeper medium to dark yellow Chards are much fuller in body with a rich oak emphasis  you will notice lots of vanilla and butterscotch in the smells. It's nice to be aware of at least three basic styles of Chardonnay when selecting the wine that most suits your tastes, and thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.