Changing Chardonnays leave some lovers at a loss

After three days of teaching and talking about wine at the recent Niagara Food & Wine Expo, it’s clear consumers are more knowledgeable than ever about the variety of what’s available.

Over the course of the weekend, the Vines Magazine booth poured a range of wines from Ontario, California, Italy and Spain to showcase some best buys and explore the range of flavours that come from different grape varieties, growing regions and winemaking techniques.

One trend to note, there was much more interest in the red selections than the white wines. However, that may have been a response to the range of international reds selected compared to the local whites from wellknown Niagara wineries on offer. The white that captured the most interest during peak periods on Friday and Saturday night, however, was the affordable Robert Mondavi Private Selection Chardonnay.

It was the most sampled white and encouraged a lot of conversation at the booth.

It’s made in a fresher style, with only a small percentage of the wine aged in oak barrels to maintain the purity of fruit and acidity.

Despite coming from cooler spots of a warm growing region, the fruit is ripe and appealing and the mouth-filling texture adds greatly to its appeal.

Five years ago, a similar event would have seen a number of visitors proclaim they didn’t like Chardonnay.

“They’re too oaky” was a common complaint back then.

However the fashion for rich and oaky styles of Chardonnay — usually the product of really ripe grapes, which translates to high alcohol levels — has shifted toward ones that are more lean and lively.

But the changing fashion has left some wine lovers at a loss.

I often hear from readers seeking advice for finding the rich and robust style of California Chardonnay that they prefer.

Anyone looking for a compare and contrast fashion show of a traditional and more contemporary expression of California Chardonnay can grab bottles of this week’s recommended wines.

There are two different expressions on offer, which help illustrate the obvious charms of well-made Chardonnay and might help you better understand which fashion or style you most enjoy.