05/21/07 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. Today we begin a week long series about this most popular of white wines. Chardonnay for many has become synonymous with white wine. In the new wine world of the 1980's we began naming wines for the grapes that made them, rather than the European tradition of naming the wine for its geographic origin. This is likely when most Americans first heard of Chardonnay  and it became the all the rage. Known to very few by its French traditional geographic names, Chablis, Montrachet, Corton-Charlemagne or Meursault, many thought there was a new wine on the market, made from the grape Chardonnay. Consumers find it easy to drink because often it is low in acidity and contemporary styles often highlight the use of oak. Wine grape growers find it nothing if not adaptable. 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, Sauvignon Blanc and recently Viognier. These grapes are often skillfully blended and result in delicious wines. Although I sometimes find that 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. It appears that Chardonnay remains one of our favorite white wines. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.