CHARDONNAY

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Chardonnay is the King of White Wine.  What amazes me most about Chardonnay, is how versatile it is; a vintner's fingerprints are all over this wine.  This is mostly due to the fact that the skins are usually separated from the juice, early in the fermentation process.  We find Chardonnay in the major regions of the world.  In Burgundy, there are two distinct styles, Chablis, which is unoaked and White Burgundy, which is oaked.  It is one of the three blending grapes in Champagne (note:  Blanc de Blancs is 100% Chardonnay).

By using oak, the wine will show hints of vanilla and, by using malolactic fermentation (a secondary fermentation process that converts malic acid to lactic acid), Chardonnay picks up buttery notes (think lactose or milk).  Otherwise, Chardonnay's flavors range from apple, melon & pear, to peach, pineapple, lemon and grapefruit.