Happy International Chardonnay Day!
Today, on the 26th of May, the world celebrates International Chardonnay Day. This day, in 2010, California designer and sommelier Rick Bakas created a Twitter poll to celebrate a wine day on the eve of Memorial Day. You probably guessed who won based on the majority of users' votes. It's Chardonnay, one of the most popular and beloved white wines worldwide.
On international Chardonnay day (known as #ChardonnayDay or #ChardDay), we'll discuss the most popular Chardonnay food pairings, which capture the spirit of the wine, as well as wineries where you can sample this aesthetic wine!
What you should know about Chardonnay
The birthplace of Chardonnay is Burgundy, yet the variety is adaptable to any climate and produces significantly different, and often unexpected, outcomes under diverse conditions. From France and Italy to the New World, Chardonnay is a favorite among winemakers. Chardonnay can produce wines in a variety of styles: light, fresh, mineral, unoaked or rich, creamy, oaky and sparkling. It also enjoys oak extract, which imparts a vanilla taste and a creamy texture to the body, as well as hints of nuts, honey, and a spicy citrus note.
Discover more interesting facts about Chardonnay.
Characteristics of Chardonnay wine
The main flavors & aromas - lemon, apple, pear, pineapple, peach, and fig.
You will also find - herbal, spice aromas, floral, and mineral. Aromas after aging in oak – vanilla, baked pie, butter, caramelized sugar, crème brûlée, dill, coconut.
The serving temperature - for unseasoned chardonnay: is 9 °C, for those aged 12 °C.
Acidity - below average (aged in oak) – above average (unoaked).
Food pairings for Chardonnay
When you are pairing Chardonnay with food, you should take into account the aromatic profile of the wine, as well as its body and acidity. Light, crisp Chardonnays with little oaky characteristics pair well with lighter meals; oaky, rich Chardonnays (vanilla, toast, smoke) pair well with richer foods that reflect the wine's sweeter, buttery flavors.
Chardonnay with Seafood
Chardonnay complements fish and seafood perfectly. It's always a win-win! Seafood has highly nutritious properties and is an excellent source of easily digestible proteins. Knowing such food characteristics will make it easier to find the proper wine for your meal.
Chablis & Oysters
Chardonnay of Chablis grows on Kimmeridgian clay soils, which are literally strewn with ancient clamshells from the Jurassic period. What is it, if not a sign? Considering seafood has an iodine tint to it, we need wines that are young, fresh, and mineral. For example, oyster meals and Chablis go great together! The saline style of Chablis Chardonnay perfectly matches the fresh texture of oysters.
Wineries to visit in Chablis
Langhe Chardonnay & salmon soup
Norwegian salmon soup has a thick, creamy texture and a gentle taste. The delicate Chardonnay from Piedmont, with its good minerality and restrained acidity, wonderfully balances the soup's rich mouthfeel.
Chardonnay with Sushi
Sushi and rolls are fantastic dishes that come in a wide range of colors. They have sweet, spicy, and salty notes. The key point here is to select the right Chardonnay wine to match with a basic but rich taste of rolls in order to highlight and complement its merits.
How about rolls with a cream cheese?
The main cream cheeses used for rolls are ”Philadelphia” and ”California”. The names of the rolls simply imply that they were created by Japanese chefs who traveled to the United States. The lads quickly discovered how to win hearts and began adding cream cheese into rolls, the most well-known brand of which is simply named “Philadelphia”.
The New World Chardonnays will make a beautiful pair here, since it is similarly rich and creamy, even with a light residual sugar—let it tandem with the cheese.
Chardonnay with cheese
Chardonnay for soft and semi-soft cheeses makes an excellent partner. For example, crispy/light Chardonnay + brie, fresh mozzarella, and fruity/rich Chardonnay + ricotta and fontina cheeses.
Burgundy Chardonnay and Brie
Brie is a soft cheese made in the Brie region of France. It is prepared from either cow or sheep milk.
Brie has a little nutty, spicy, and sweet flavor. These evolving and changing flavors make the cheese incredibly versatile. They also enable the cheese to pair well with different wines. This cheese has a high fat content, so it requires a sharp, acidic companion to help it lose weight. Chardonnay is an exquisite pairing with Brie. The wine's acidity helps to cleanse the taste, keeping the cheese's richness from becoming too dominant. The wine also has enough body to complement the creaminess of the cheese, making them an exquisite pairing.
Burgundy Chardonnay with brie cheese will be enough to celebrate the end of the working week or your exceptional taste.
Chardonnay with Meat
What kind of protein pairs perfectly with Chardonnay? Although it may seem confusing in terms of color, a meat dish does go well with Chardonnay! Chardonnay, especially oaked Chardonnay, pairs well with pork (roast pork with apple or cream), veal, rabbit, chicken (roasted with herbs), and turkey (grilled lemon-garlic sauce).
Chardonnay from Mendoza and rabbit meatballs
Another beautiful choice for those who are lovers of a smooth, creamy taste. Try to match rabbit meatballs in a cream sauce with saffron with an Argentinian Chardonnay wine. Mendoza Chardonnay has quite a full body and noticeable oak creaminess, so the dish should be delicate.
Chardonnay with Mushrooms
Mushrooms come in a variety of forms and sizes and may offer a lot of depth and body to any dish, whether it's meat, rice, or pasta. All of these combinations offer a variety of textures and flavors, giving us a wide range of options for paring with Chardonnay. Mushrooms that are perfect for Chardonnay: shitake, porcini, oyster mushrooms.
Chardonnay from Mâconnais and mushroom pie
If you use fresh Porcini mushrooms and crumbly potatoes in the pie, it will bake up airy and light. Place the filling in the oven with the sour cream sauce, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Chardonnay complements the creamy foundation of the dishes beautifully. Burgundy Chardonnay from the Mâconnais (Macon) AOC appellation to the pie will make your meal enjoyable and memorable.
Bon appétit!
