Although white wines have lost favor to red wines over the last few decades, they still have their place behind a bar or on restaurant wine lists or your wine fridge. As summer approaches, warm or even sweltering weather begs for chilled drinks and there’s no white wine grape more widely planted or in greater demand by patrons than Chardonnay. That’s not to say all Chardonnay’s are created equal or that if you find one Chardonnay you like you’ll also like all others.
Why?
In its most unadulterated form Chardonnay will exhibit most noticeably the aroma and crisp acidity of tart green apples. In the Burgundy region of France, well made Chardonnay also is noted for having a wet stone/mineral tinge to the taste attributed to the calcium rich soil that permeated the area. In New World regions as far-flung as California, Australia, Argentina and Israel there are many examples of how different terroirs and wine makers can influence this chameleon of a grape.
By putting Chardonnay wines through malolactic fermentation. a secondary fermentation process, the prevalent tart malic acid present in wine turns to a creamier fuller body lactic acid. There’s a trade-off in gaining body and a sensation of butter in exchange for fruitiness or that is lost or overshadowed and the crisp acidity some crave in white wines is muted. Some also claim the distinction or subtlety of terroir will be overshadowed by malolactic fermentation, any or excessive oak influences or sur lie aging.
Aging Chardonnay in oak barrels can add body, complexity, smokiness, body and often vanilla to a wine. It also allows through subtle oxidation a younger wine to soften or become “rounder” and presumably more approachable. When aged, Chardonnay will be oak aged typically for much shorter time than most red wines. Six months of aging seems typical with a range of three to twelve months. American oak will tend to impart more vanilla and French barrels or older more neutral barrels will be used when trying to lessen that affectation.
Sur lie is aging a wine with the lees or the residue of yeast remaining after yeast expired in the primary sugar to alcohol fermentation process. This process can add color, clarity, complexity and soften oak when used but with or without oak makes for a “fresher,” nuttier and sometimes yeasty tasting wine if left on to excessively or intentionally in the case of many sparkling wines. And many great sparkling wines are only Chardonnay or Champagne style sparkling wines blended mostly with the red Pinot Noir.
These three winemaker tools have helped Chardonnay earn the name of being “the winemaker’s grape” and making Chardonnay is seen by many as a rite of passage for a winemaker. Of course, these three winemaking practices also result in different styles that a drinker may embrace or abhor.
For the last twenty or thirty years, there was a trend for many New World (non-European) winemakers to make their Chardonnay “butter bombs” and surely some remain and prosper. After malolactic fermentation and American oak aging, the wines may have resembled to some more like buttered popcorn or vanilla ice cream than a glass of French Chablis.
There’s been a backlash of sorts with many white wine drinkers demanding “ABC,” Anything But Chardonnay, so many winemakers have adapted by making more Old World style, terroir driven Chardonnays or have reduced or eliminated the influence of oak or malo conversions.
With this in mind, when you find a style of Chardonnay you like, make note of what you liked and inquire what the winemaker was doing and you should better be able to find more Chardonnays to please your palette.
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Shoppers Vineyard tastes one of my Israeli wineries, Tabor Winery.
David Rhodes is the only guy I’ll call the Israeli wine guy besides myself. He’s definitely one of my favorite Israeli wine guys — and a neighbor to boot.
David was just on Gary Vaynerchuk’s Sirius radio, talking about Israeli wine.
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The World Wine Guys Visit Israel.
The following article is from wines-israel.com
Recanati Winery have launched a new Carignan from the 2009 vintage. It is made from Carignan grapes from bush vines, grown in the Judean Hills. The wine is deep colored with extraordinary depth of flavor, aromas of blackberry & black current and a powerful concentrated & complex taste. It has obvious aging potential and is one of the best Carignans released to date. The bottle has a very attractive label featuring a drawing of a characterful old Carignan vine, or ‘wild vine’ as they refer to it.
Carignan is a variety that has been in Israel since 1882, before Edmond de Rothschild began investing in Israeli wine. It was the mainstay of Israeli wine for nearly 100 years. However in the last ten years, wineries have strived to make quality Carignans, instead of using it purely for inexpensive blends. They have done this by reducing yields, showing very strict selection of fruit and using only older vineyards.
Today wineries like Avidan, Barkan, Binyamina, Carmel, Chillag, Red Poetry, Sea Horse, Smadar, Somek, Vitkin and now Recanati all have quality Carignans or Carignan based blends. All come from different areas. The Barkan Reserve Carignan comes from the Judean Plain. The Binyamina Reserve Carignan comes from the Lower Galilee. Carmel’s Appellation Old Vine Carignan comes from the Zichron Ya’acov – Mt. Carmel region and the Recanati Reserve Wild Vine Carignan comes from the Judean Hills.
This makes a very welcome change from the all too regular Cabernet Sauvignons & Merlots which all Israeli wineries seem to produce. Quality Carignans from Israel will undoubtedly create interest from those looking for Israeli character in their wines.
There are several upcoming wine events coming up in Israel. Here are a few:
1. Tel Aviv Port – The Golan Heights Winery will be hosting a wine tasting event in the evenings from Saturday May 21 to Saturday May 28. The event will feature a series of bars in which wines, ranging from the Golan series to the Yarden Rom and Katzrin series, can be tasted.
Hours: Saturdays – 20:30-23:00; Sunday 20:00-23:00; Monday-Thursday 19:00 – 23:00. It will not be open on Friday.
Prices for tastings will cost from 20NIS-40NIS and you can buy a series of 3 tastings for 90NIS. Workshops will be 35NIS/each.
2. Haifa – Haifa will hold its 7th Wine and Cheese Festival from Tuesday to Thursday May 31 – June 2. It will be at the Auditorium Garden and there is no entrance fee.
3. Ra’anana – Ra’anana will be hosting its first ever wine festival at Lev HaPark (Ra’anana Park) on Wednesday and Thursday 15-16 June from 6:00 PM until midnight.
4. Jerusalem – Ish HaAnavim will be hosting a wine fair of white, rose, and sparkling wines on Wednesday and Thursday June 1-2. It will take place in the Mamila Mall. Open from 5:00PM, admission will be 59NIS for a tasting glass.
Do you know of other wine events? Leave them in the comments.
The following article is from wines-israel.com and reprinted with permission
Golan Heights Winery recently earned the Gran Vinitaly Special Award as the best wine producer at the 19th International Vinitaly 2011 Wine Competition, which was held from March 28 to April 1, 2011, in Verona, Italy. In winning the top award at this prestigious competition, the Winery beat out over 1,000 wine producers from 30 countries including traditional wine-producing powerhouses such as France, Italy and Spain.
Golan Heights Winery earned the Gran Vinitaly Special Award as the wine producer achieving the best results calculated as the sum of the highest scores for two wines that took medals in two different categories. The Winery earned two Grand Gold Medals – the highest awards granted to individual wines at Vinitaly – for the 2009 Yarden Chardonnay Odem Organic Vineyard and the 2008 Yarden HeightsWine. Only 16 Grand Gold Medals in total were awarded at the competition.
“Winning the Gran Vinitaly Award is yet another sign of respect that places the developing Israeli wine industry, in general, and Golan Heights Winery, in particular, at the center of the international wine world,” said Anat Levi, CEO of Golan Heights Winery. “As shown by this historic achievement, our wines are competing successfully with the world’s top-quality wines, and representing us with honor. We are excelling internationally thanks to the intensive efforts of our world-caliber winegrowing and winemaking team under the leadership of Head Winemaker Victor Schoenfeld, who has led the way in implementing our vision of quality and excellence for two decades.”
Vinitaly 2011 confirmed its reputation as one of the world’s most selective competitions, awarding only 71 total medals for over 3,700 wines produced by more than 1,000 wineries. A panel of 105 judges, chosen from among the world’s leading winemakers and wine journalists, selected the winning wines in carefully supervised blind tastings that ensured the anonymity of each wine.
In four previous Vinitaly competitions, Golan Heights Winery won Grand Gold Medals two times each for Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon and Yarden Blanc de Blancs. Following the receipt of this year’s medals, the Winery has now won top honors at Vinitaly for wines representing its full range of offerings: red, white, dessert and sparkling.
“We are extremely proud of being the first Israeli winery to be named the best wine producer at Vinitaly – the top award at one of the world’s most prominent wine competitions,” added Levi. “I am confident that Golan Heights Winery will continue to create remarkable wines and bring the taste of quality Israeli wines to discerning wine enthusiasts in Israel and across the globe.”
About Golan Heights Winery
Golan Heights Winery is the leading premium wine producer in Israel. Since its founding in 1983, Golan Heights Winery has marketed its wines under the renowned Yarden, Gamla and Golan brands. Today, the Winery is considered Israel’s foremost producer when it comes to wine quality, technological innovation and varietal development. Golan Heights Winery has led the way in nurturing Israel’s wine culture and placing Israel firmly on the world’s wine map. For more information, visit www.golanwines.co.il.
