Chardonnay

Our second core flavour is the varietal grape Chardonnay, this is the favourite white wine grape of winemakers and beyond its classic home of Burgundy in France it is planted throughout the world's wine regions. Chefs and sommeliers have been amazed during our workshops at the contrast between Chardonnay and our first core flavour, the Sauvignon grape and the difference in affinities and conflicts with food.

The forward fruit flavours that can range from green apple and lemon and all the way to tropical fruits as banana and pineapple make this a popular choice for consumers. The variety also works well with fermentation in oak, which produces a rich buttery character, and oak aging, which adds vanilla. Some time in the future, ar-emporia will feature a page on all our Chardonnays listed.

As you will see from our matrix, there is a huge choice of foods that go well with Chardonnay, but be careful, our chefs have found that if the dishes are too complex there will be a battle between the food and the many flavours inherent in this variety, the rule is to keep the dishes relatively simple.