05/23/07 Chardonnay Pt 3

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. Today we're discussing different styles of Chardonnay. Style in wine is referencing the characteristics of the wine's flavor profile. During the winemaking process, many decisions greatly influenced 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 can be very diverse and it is not always simple to clearly identify a particular region's style. So perhaps the simple approach is to describe the general characteristics of the three most common styles of Chardonnay. First, those 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 chardonnay's, 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 Chardonny's are much fuller in body with a rich oak emphasis  you will notice lots of vanilla and butterscotch in the smells and tastes. It's nice to be aware of at least three styles of Chardonnay when selecting the wine that most suits your tastes. And thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.