7 minute read
Nickelback and the Infinite Possibilities of Chardonnay
By Mike Muirhead (ISG, CMS, Sommelier) and Sylvia Jansen (DipWSET, CSW, Sommelier)
Nickelback. It’s a name you didn’t expect to pop up in the pages of your favourite wine magazine, but as much as they are the band we all love to hate, this Canadian platinum-selling band—who are still filling stadiums all over North America—have made an indelible imprint on our culture. Admit it: when you are driving home from work, when that one Nickelback song comes on, and you are alone, you don’t change the station. You roll up all of the windows real tight, and you belt it out. Rock Star. That’s mine.
Trying Not to Love You
Why would I let you all have this glimpse into a dark part of my soul? It’s to make this point: Chardonnay is the Nickelback of wines. It is the grape variety everybody loves to hate. Even some of our geekiest wine friends, who know of the history and importance of the grape, will state: “I am ABC: Anything But Chardonnay,” like it is a badge of honour.
Here is the question, though: if it is the wine we all love to hate, why is Chardonnay so popular? Why is it the world’s second most planted white wine grape variety? In fact, when you take into account that the first most-planted is a white grape called Airén (used for oceans of brandy production in Spain), being second hardly counts. Really, Chardonnay is the ruler of the white wine world.
Bottoms Up
There are reasons for its popularity: Chardonnay appeals to a lot of preferences and a lot of budgets. Chardonnay can be big and bold; it can be lean and crisp, or somewhere in between. Wine lovers who want to taste an icon and a through-the-roof experience can find that in Chardonnay. Anyone who wants something easy-going, cheap and cheerful, can find it in Chardonnay. If you enjoy mediumbodied whites that have good character and reflect their place of origin with honesty, let me pour you a glass ... of Chardonnay. If you like white wines that are rich, toasty oaky, and full-bodied, have we got a Chardonnay for you! Maybe it’s because we have lived through the fashion for big, oaky Chardonnays that some wine lovers started the “ABC” reaction. Some wine lovers believe all Chardonnays still taste that way. The truth is that all Chardonnays were never all any way, and choices are especially varied right now.
If we look at where and how grapes are grown and how wine is made, we can begin to understand why this variety is capable of so much.
Far Away
Chardonnay, like a Nickelback earworm, can find a home almost anywhere. It can produce a good crop in cool climates with relatively short growing seasons, like Chablis and Champagne in France, and Niagara in Canada. It can ripen well and produce a good crop in warm climates, like in Southern Australia and central California. And it can find a place anywhere in between these extremes. In general, cooler climates further from the equator produce Chardonnays with tart acidity that show tangy fruit character (apple, pear and citrus); warmer climates closer to the equator produce Chardonnays with softer acidity and tropical fruit character (pineapple, mango, banana). Moreover, if a producer wants to grow a lot of fruit for inexpensive wine, Chardonnay can produce a lot of fruit that ripens well and has some varietal character. If a producer owns a great vineyard site, has a great growing season, and wants to make something really special, well, Chardonnay is up to that challenge.
In the winery, there is a broad range of choices, more so for Chardonnay than for most other white wine varieties. It has been dubbed “the winemaker’s grape” because it takes well to various treatments— or to minimal treatment. The choice of fermentation vessel makes a huge difference: stainless steel tanks are neutral, whereas new small oak barrels allow interaction with the air outside the barrels and impart characters of toast, vanilla, or nuts to the finished wine. Leaving the wine in contact with spent yeast cells from fermentation can also give a savoury, creamy character to the finished Chardonnay. And if winemakers want to soften acidity, they can use malolactic fermentation, resulting in buttery, creamy notes (Gary Hewitt explains in his column on page 24).
Look What Your Money Bought You
Of course, all of these choices have a huge impact on price and quality. Barrel fermentation and ageing, for example, mean that winemakers are purchasing a regular supply of oak barrels, at a cost of $1,000 to $2,000 per barrel. That investment needs to be justified in the selling price of the wine. Alternate ways of getting oak flavours into wine include placing oak staves (boards) into fermentation tanks or adding a bag of oak chips to the tank. Both give oaky flavours without either the air contact or mellowing that happens in barrel. These are a lot less expensive than barrel fermentation or ageing, so if your $15 Chardonnay has some of these flavours, it is likely the result of staves or chips.
What Are You Waiting For?
Chardonnay may be the Nickelback of grape varieties, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. You may think you hate it, but we will wager that there is a style out there that you will secretly adore. If you don’t already have a secret favourite hiding in the back of your fridge, we will take it as our personal challenge to find one that will suit your particular palate. So you can go home, close the windows, draw the drapes, and crack it in the comfort of your own home when no one is looking. Go ahead, you Rockstar. CALIFORNIA NIAGARA, CANADANIAGARA, CANADA
CHILE
Cool Climate: Chablis, France, Niagara, Canada
• Domaine Bernard Defaix Chablis,
France ($39.99) • Tawse Estate Chardonnay,
Canada ($39.99)
CHARDONNAYS OF THE WORLD
CHABLIS, FRANCE
CÔTE D’OR, MÂCONVILLAGES, POUILLYFUISSÉ, FRANCE
SOUTH OF FRANCE
SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA
Xavier Monnot Les Grandes Coutures Chardonnay Bourgogne, France $44.99 Robert Perroud Terres Blanches Beaujolais-Village Chardonnay, France ($21.99)
Warm Climate: California, Southern Australia, Southern France, Chile
• Jax Vineyards Y3 Chardonnay Napa Valley,
United States (39.99) • Montes Classic Series Chardonnay Central
Valley, Chile ($17.99)
QUIZ: WINE MATCHMAKER
At Banville & Jones, we are all about finding your perfect (wine) match. Take our simple quiz, and we can connect you with the best white to pair with your summer sipping!
1. What is your (current) favourite white wine grape variety? a. Sauvignon Blanc b. Pinot Grigio c. Chardonnay (and not afraid to admit it) d. I don’t like white wine
2. Do you prefer your wines to be: a. Light and tart b. Easygoing, all about the fruit c. Big and bold, rich and ripe d. Something to have a conversation about, not just over
3. What do you want to avoid in wine? a. Aromas other than fruit—don’t get weird on me b. Wines that are so full I could spread them on toast c. Wines that are thin and acidic d. Who avoids wine?!
4. Do you enjoy white wine . . . a. To refresh the palate and not drain the budget b. To go with starters and appetizers c. To pair with rich, interesting foods d. To pair with anything, so long as it can hold its own
5. In your opinion which of these is the best pairing? a. A refreshing white with a sunny patio and lots of good company b. A medium white with french fries c. A complex white with butter-sautéed fresh pickerel and a squeeze of lemon d. An elegant white with my secret recipe roast chicken
Haut Lemble 2015 Champagne (France, $169.99). Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs Champagne such as the Roses de Jeanne Les Cloux Pernand-Vergelesses (Burgundy, $79.99), or an incredibly elegant all- $89.99), the single vineyard Domaine Rollin If you answered mostly “d”: Treat yourself to a complex classic like Jean-Louis Chavy Puligny-Montrachet (Burgundy,
or for something really special, Moone-Tsai Winery Chardonnay (Napa Valley, $103.99). If you answered mostly “c”: Try a warmer climate Chardonnay like McManis Family Vineyards Chardonnay (California, $22.99)
Domaine Bernard Defaix Chablis (France, $39.99) or Blue Mountain Chardonnay Okanagan (Canada, $27.99). If you answered mostly “b”: You will enjoy Chardonnays that have good acidity and some complexity, such as the classic
Chardonnay (South Africa, $18.99) or Bodegas Alconde Viña Sardasol Chardonnay (Spain, $13.99). Unwooded If you answered mostly “a”: You will enjoy unoaked, straightforward Chardonnays. Try Bon Courage Estates
ANSWERS: Yes, we were talking about Chardonnay the whole time! To find a good Chard for you:
