Kristi Mayfield, CMS1 / WSET2 / Wine / Education
What’s your favorite wine, I’m always asked?
Such a simple question, but never a simple answer. Well, except maybe “the one in my glass!” The more I try, the more I love, which makes it super challenging for me to walk into any wine shop, pull a few bottles of lovelies off the shelf and get the heck out of dodge. Nope, not me, I swoon for hours. I pick up so many bottles I lose count. It’s like I’m in the Rijksmuseum and have to drink in (yes, pun intended) every single piece of luxurious art as if I’ll never see it again. Exaggeration? I’ll let you ask my husband who has become quite proficient at sayin “no!” whenever I invite him to join me on a wine buying outing. Apparently, there is always a more interesting sports event on the telly!
Back on topic. Wine. My favorite wine, at least of the day, or of the moment. Today, I’m going to go with Chardonnay in all off it’s luscious, glorious iterations. Chardonnay. Wait for it… Wait for it… Wait for it…. I hear so many of you cringing, or maybe even screaming “I HATE CHARDONNAY”!!!!! I get it! I’ve been there myself but I’ve been coming back to the holy grail of white wines and sipping from its fountain recently and found a whole new meaning for ABC. No more do I agree with Anything But Chardonnay, I’m switching it up to Any Beautiful Chardonnay!
Close your eyes, cover your ears and tune me out!
Where shall I start? Let’s go on a journey to one of the most magical places where Chardonnay is transformed into its most ethereal form. Champagne! Blanc de blanc, champagne made exclusively from… you guessed it! Chardonnay! Filling your mouth with tingly delight, how on earth can you not fall in love?
Not convinced yet? Follow me a bit north to Chablis, France. Chablis itself is not a grape varietal, it’s a wine region where Chardonnay thrives in cooler temperatures letting it ripen without losing what is most cherished in wines from this area. Crisp, dry, tart, even bracingly fresh and clean. Winemakers let the grape shine and do very little to change this wine through the winemaking process. Time in oak barrels takes the edge off making this style of Chardonnay one of my favorites! This is not your parent’s jug of Chablis from the past (truth be told those wines were imposters, and cheap ones to boot!) as only wine from Chablis is truly Chablis! Do not be fooled!
Butter bomb be damned!
I know, I know, I know! Those creamy, buttery, oily, heavy, over-cooked Chardonnays nearly ruined it for me too! I get it, they can be overwhelmingly cloying, but please do not judge all oaked Chardonnay’s by their highly manipulated distant cousins. Some Chardonnays in this style are truly delicious! And paired with the right food, they can be utterly sublime! Yes, I must confess I turned my nose up and snubbed oaked Chardonnay for years as it was just too much for my palette. Just as the “Rachel haircut”, the mullet and low-rise skinny jeans had their moments, so, too did big and buttery Chardonnay. This style is seeing its renaissance and taking on a much kinder, gentler form I’m more than willing to give a second chance.
Have I convinced you yet? Are your car keys in your hand as you run out the door to your neighborhood wine shop to snag a few different styles of Chardonnay to explore this week? I hear engines running! My bottles are chilling right now waiting for our virtual clink of glasses filled with Chardonnay in our willingness to forgive its sins from the past and start a new wine relationship with this classic beauty!
Chat up your local wine merchant or search for a few clues – lower alcohol levels (13-13.5%) and labels including words like unoaked will be lighter and brighter styles while oaked and higher alcohol levels 14%+ will be richer and will warm you up a bit more during the colder winter weather. Now that I’ve convinced you to give Chardonnay another try, I know you’re just dying to learn more about all things related to wine! I get it! I’m the consummate wine nerd and would love to go on this journey with you! Start now at DOMSOM.us!!!
www.domsom.us #domsom.us #gettingourdomsom #ilovechardonnay #chablisforme #pennerashpinot
