The League Against Chardonnay

[ouch]

Good points. Ravenswood makes some terrific Zinfandel. I don't understand why it isn't more popular, as it's really the "American" wine, and often comes off better than our attempts at Bordeaux/Rhone style wines. Don't even get me started on new world Pinot.

 

[MacArthur Mike]

I am a big Italian wine drinker and I have this same problem with people who drink the only Italian white wine that they have ever heard of Pinot Grigio. It is due to the mass market (same with Chardonnay) approach. Its easy to find the Chards and the Pinot Grigio's because that is what most stores have a lot of. The true finds are Italian whites like Orvieto Classico, Gavi di Gavi (rare and minerally) or even a French Alsace or White Burgundy.

If you are ever in NYC, search out Italian Wine Merchant, they will set you up with a nice Italian white wine with a lot more depth and flavor than a boring Pinot Grigio.

 

[Effigy]

Hi Mike,
I practically only ever drink Reds, but my 'house wine' is a Bardolino. I buy it by the case and its always there on hand.

I have had many happy vacations in the Bardolino region, so it always brings back happy memories.

I am a big Italian wine drinker and I have this same problem with people who drink the only Italian white wine that they have ever heard of Pinot Grigio. It is due to the mass market (same with Chardonnay) approach. Its easy to find the Chards and the Pinot Grigio's because that is what most stores have a lot of. The true finds are Italian whites like Orvieto Classico, Gavi di Gavi (rare and minerally) or even a French Alsace or White Burgundy.

If you are ever in NYC, search out Italian Wine Merchant, they will set you up with a nice Italian white wine with a lot more depth and flavor than a boring Pinot Grigio.

 

[jduffy]

Your just not getting to the right chards and pairing them with great grub.

Now if you were blasting merlot, I'd join your club. Merlot has no soul!

 

[BroJohn]

I favor reds, too. I also dislike the Pinot Grigio and Chards that infest the market. I *do* like some of the whites, but favor the German and Alsacian wines.

I don't have any depth in wine knowledge, but do enjoy a nice Claret.

-- John Gehman

 

[Effigy]

Of course, no one has yet mentioned the major flaw in my argument.

My all-time-favourite white wine (which I drink whenever I can) is made from the Chardonnay grape







Champagne


But of course, this is the Chardonnay grape that made good, educated itself and moved up-market away from its low-life roots.

 

[Scotto]

For a while Chardonnay turned into a game of who could put the most oak into the wine. It produced some truly awful products. If you look at some of the "old school" treatments of the grape you can still find some nice stuff. Personally I am 99% a red wine drinker, but now and again I find myself reaching for a nice sauvignon blanc, riesling, etc.

 

[rikrdo]

....FWIW

California Central Coast is / has been
producing some very nice
"NON-Oaked" Chards for the past several years.
But....
I dont want to encourage any one to consume them
as they will be doomed to suffer boiling in a vat of it.

 

[ouch]

Your just not getting to the right chards and pairing them with great grub.

Now if you were blasting merlot, I'd join your club. Merlot has no soul!

Yep. The 50% merlot used in this blend has completely ruined the wine.

(Anyone see Sidewyas?)

 

[ouch]

And this 100% merlot is godawful.

 

[Scotto]

Show-off!

 

[rikrdo]

Yep. The 50% merlot used in this blend has completely ruined the wine.

(Anyone see Sidewyas?)

Can I PLEASE be invited over sometime ??!!
I promise not to bring Royale Yucch !
I'll give ya a Matzhold !!
.......wait. Thatll cost ya 2 meals !

 

[boboakalfb]

In addition to Cakebread's offering I would also suggest Rombauer's Chard as well. I lean way more to the Reds but wouldn't say lets get rid of the Chard altogether.

 

[Stauff]

I've always found reislings to be too sweet and they give me acid reflux terribly, but do you have a great ones you've found that you recommend?

Many cheap German wines are sweet, but there are great dry ones as well. A couple of years ago, the German wine board launched the label 'qualitätswein' to indicate that it is a dry specimen. I mostly get Ruppertsberger, which at about 9 EUR a bottle is good vfm. I love the wonderful mineral flavours in Riesling, something that is much more absent in Chardonnays.

 

[ouch]

I may have a better bottle to post after the weekend. My friend promised me a "surprise" the next time I see him, and I have some inside information that it will either be a '49 Cheval Blanc or an 1865 Latour (not a misprint).

 

[rikrdo]

I may have a better bottle to post after the weekend. My friend promised me a "surprise" the next time I see him, and I have some inside information that it will either be a '49 Cheval Blanc or an 1865 Latour (not a misprint).

Can you pick me up??
Im booking a flight as we speak !

 

[kozulich]

I favor reds, too. I also dislike the Pinot Grigio and Chards that infest the market. I *do* like some of the whites, but favor the German and Alsacian wines.
-- John Gehman

My favorite German region is the Nahe. Hard to come by here in the States, and practically unknown, but it combines the best attributes of both the Rhine and Moselle wines.

 

[ouch]

As for perceived sweetness, a lot has to do with one's palate. Serve a group of Americans a spatlese, for example, and they will probably all say it is sweet, while a group of Germans would say it is dry.

All in all, I'd have to say that Germany makes my favorite white wines. Producers such as J. J. Prum, Lingenfelder, Muller-Catoir, Neckerauer, von Schubert-Maximin Grunhaus, and Heribert Kerpen make some of the best whites I've tried.

 

[letterk]

I thought it was called ABC: anything but chardonnay.

I have a lot of friends who would immediately assume that I'm the president of your club. Not true. Chardonnay suffers from the same problem currently ruining the Merlot market- overproduction. The reason for this is simple: most folks know nothing at all about wine, but still want to be able to enjoy it. One of the biggest problems they face is what to order. If they're able to muster a simple "I'll have the chardonnay", they feel better. Same for Merlot. I think people just like to say the word merlot, even if they pronounce it incorrectly.
This is the exact same reason why the biggest selling burgundy is Beaune (pronounced BONE). Apparently, this is a word that is easy to pronounce by virtually everyone on earth, and spares wealthy asian buyers the embarrassment of attempting to order a Puligny Montrachet, Caillerets.

Now I'm all for your league, and the world will surely be a better place if people learned more about Rieslings, Chenin Blanc, Gewurtztraminers, Viognier, and Scheurebe. But let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. Chardonnay still makes some of the best white wines going. As with other things, what is required is simply a bit of knowledge.

Back to the original post: if you want good alternatives for chardonnay, try wines form the Loire, Alsace, and Germany.

+1

While I prefer reds (and drink them most of the time), as with most any type of wine, there are good examples and bad examples. It's a pitty that Chardonnay (and Merlot for that matter) seem to have more bad examples.

 

[Bunker950]

Hi Gents

I just think you have not met the best Chardonnay yet. The best Chards are produced in South Africa. The likes of Danie de Wet from the Dewetshof vineyard and Hamilton Russel produce some of the best Chardonnay in the world. Dewetshof also produce a unwooded Chardonnay.

I am mostly a red wine drinker, but enjoy a descent Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc from time to time. I absolutely hate Riesling.... if I want to drink apples, I order a cider.

Once again the law applies.... you get what you pay for. Buy cheap supermarket "value for money" wines and you'll experience cheap value for money taste. Open the wallet a bit more and you'll have a total different experience.

Steven