Houdini Napa Valley Chardonnay

Chardonnay is a white wine that originated in the Burgundy region of eastern France. Chardonnay is now one of the most widely planted grape varieties with over 400,000 acres worldwide. In 2005 California accounted for almost 25% of the world's Chardonnay plantings with nearly 100,000 acres. The number one white wine varietal sold in America is Chardonnay. Chardonnay wine grapes are green in color, thin-skinned, and ripen early in the season. Harvesting time is very crucial to Chardonnay wine-making as the grape loses it acidity rapidly as soon as it ripens. Chardonnay wines are best presented in a smaller bowl wine glass. The optimum serving temperature for Chardonnay is 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Chardonnay wines they have the potential to be paired with a diverse spectrum of foods. Chardonnay is most commonly paired with roasted chicken and other white meats like turkey. Chardonnay wines that have been influenced by heavy oak pair well with smoked fish, spicy Southeast Asian cuisine, garlic, and guacamole dips.

Chardonnay wines are dry, to medium-bodied, or even full-bodied. Most Chardonnay wines are meant to be consumed young, usually within 2-3 years of the vintage. Due to the different wine making techniques, Chardonnay has a wide range in bouquets and flavors. The most common bouquets / flavors of Chardonnay wines include apple, pear, peach, apricot, lemon, lime, orange, tangerine, pineapple, banana, mango, guava, kiwi, acacia, and hawthorn. The way the wine is processed / aged also impacts the bouquet and flavor of Chardonnay wines. Chardonnay wines processed / aged in light oak have bouquets / flavors of vanilla, sweet wood, and coconut. Chardonnay wines that are processed / aged in heavy oak have bouquets / flavors of oak, smoke, toast, lees, and yeast. Chardonnay wines that are processed / aged using the malolactic fermentation have bouquets / flavors of butter, cream, and hazelnut. Chardonnay wines are also impacted by the soil it is grown in exhibiting bouquets / flavors of flint, mineral, and mint. Like sweet wines, enjoy any of our sweet wine gift baskets or our champagne gift baskets.