Everything But Red
September 2022

After two quarters of pretty exotic wines that were based on abstract themes, for this offering I return to the mainstream and revisit examples made with the Chardonnay grape. This is similar to the offering in December, but Chardonnay bears a second look through a different lens because the category is so diverse. In the final month of 2021, I made selections to compare three great wine regions where Chardonnay is ubiquitous: Napa Valley, Burgundy, and Champagne. This quarter the focus is not on terroir but how winemakers adapt this variety in the cellar to craft wines that show either a house or regional style. You also may scratch your head at the places of origin, but trust me, world class Chardonnay is produced in many places besides the ones that roll off the tongue. I think you will discover, as I did in the selection process, how different the wines can appear depending on choices made by the winemaker regardless of location.

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