The Buttery Goodness that is Chardonnay

What is it about Chardonnay that makes it so smooth and buttery? How come some styles go so well with cream sauces and rich white meats, but other styles of Chardonnay are so good with light white fish and even oysters?

Oh,..forewarning - my French spelling is brutal,...there are no accents on the words,...mainly because I don't know how to add them.

Hopefully I can answer some of these questions. First things first,...Chardonnay is a grape,...not a style of wine. It has large yellow berries with brown spots. It buds and ripens early, pretty hardy and yields tend to be quite large.

I'm examining a glass of it right now, ...man am I thirsty. Anyway,...why is it so buttery? Well,...the grapes go through malolactic fermentation. Basically what happens is that lactic acid bacteria consumes the malic acid (the stuff that gives some white wines that distinctive bite) to convert it into lactic acid (the stuff in milk that makes it buttery).

That glass of the buttery goodness that is Chardonnay has now become a part of this blog,...tasty.

What regions are famous for Chardonnay? Most famous Chardonnays come from Burgundy,...most notably; Chablis, Meursault, and Pouilly-Fuisse. Let's not forget about California,...the wine that put California on the map for wine. Chardonnay, because of its hardiness, can be grown all over. Places like Chile, New Zealand (awesome Chards from NZ!), Argentina, South Africa, and even Oregan (pretty good as well) are rocking in the world of Chardonnay.

The nose on Chardonnay can vary (dependent on the climate and a bunch of other things). You'll probably gets smells like green apple (from the malic acid), pear, lemon, mango, and flint. You can also get popcorn, butter, cream (a lot of this comes from the oak).

A good Chardonnay should have a palate of medium acidity, moderate to high alcohol, and a medium to full body.

Serve the oaked style of Chardonnay with creamy sauces and rich white meats, and the unoaked stuff with light white fish and lighter foods in general.

Gotta get back to drinking the wine, we'll talk more later, What are your favourite Chards? Let me know.