Chardonnay

This is the most known and liked grape in the world; it has a round shape, with a skin of medium thickness, a yellowish-greenish color and a medium size. It’s originally from Burgundy, France; however, it has adapted in other places with excellent results. Chardonnay is the grape use by excellence in the production of dry white wine, and it’s the favorite to elaborate from the more thick rich wines for bottle ageing, to the younger lighter wines that are made without the use of wood. It’s also one of the strains used in the production of Champagne.

Chardonnay wine has a characteristic straw color, that it’s sometimes pale and sometimes of more saturated golden color with green hues. A young Chardonnay has fruity aromas of green apple, lemon, pear and grapefruit, when it’s in a cold weather. In a tropical weather it has notes of pineapple, cantaloupe, plantain and mango; with hints of spices or caramel; and when it’s been aged in oak, it presents notes of vanilla, honey and butter. Its flavor is mainly acid, with notes of orange, lemon or grapefruit; although it depends a lot on whether is a young or a vintage wine. It can be consumed young and without oak and the ones that go through oak are even more enriched in the bottle and after three to five they start presenting notes of vanilla, almond, hazelnut and toasted bread.

It pairs wonderfully with white or smoked fishes, seafood, white meats, vegetarian dishes and pastas, birds with creamy sauces, roasted chicken and spicy food.