Find A Good Balance When Drinking The Most Popular White Wine

Although spring in New England is an iffy proposition at best, it is probably safe to assume that at some point the weather actually will warm up. It is also more than likely to warm up for more than one day at a time.

If this actually occurs, many wine drinkers will be in the mood for a chilled glass of white wine. Although there are an astounding number of white wines available to the discriminating wine drinker, Chardonnay is still the most popular white wine in the United States.

Popular Chardonnays being consumed in the US are coming from California, Australia, Chile, Washington state, Italy and France. One of the more interesting flavor characteristics in many Chardonnays is the presence of oak. The oak flavor usually presents itself as a distinct vanilla presence in the wine.

The best Chardonnays have a nice balance between the oak flavors, the wine’s natural acidity, and the fruit flavors that the wine possesses. Some Chardonnay producers, however, really like to emphasize the oak flavor over the other flavors of the wine. Although these “oaky” wines have been criticized for not pairing well with food, they are still quite popular with many wine drinkers.

There are also Chardonnays that have no oak flavor. These “unoaked” Chardonnays emphasize the fruit flavors inherent in the grape and tend to be lighter bodied and more food friendly.

Fuller-bodied Chardonnays are a classic match with lobster and other shellfish. The wonderful fruit flavors of a good Chardonnay also make it a great wine for sipping on the deck on a warm summer evening. Although the popularity of Chardonnay has produced a bit of a backlash (ABC clubs… Anything But Chardonnay), the wonderful flavor and complexity of a well-made Chardonnay continue to make it many wine drinkers’ number one choice.

(Newtown resident and wine enthusiast Steve Small is the general manager at Yankee Wine & Spirits on Queen Street.)