Haters Gonna Hate: The Sorrowful Story of Chardonnay by Tom Bicknell

So what do we know about Chardonnay?

We know that it’s one of the most widely planted grapes in the history of viticulture.
We know that its origin is thought to be Burgundy.
We know that it is a bone of contention for many wine drinkers.
We also know that it is responsible for some of the most awesome wines on Earth and is an all-around bloody brilliant grape.  Yet never before has a simple grape managed to divide the wine drinking community quite as much as this little baby. 

So why the hate?

Lets have a little look at the history of the almighty Chardonnay, and see if we can find any answers.

One theory on the ancestry of Chardonnay involves a trip to the Middle East. Lebanese and Syrian winemakers argue that Chardonnay was taken to Europe by the returning Crusaders. However, there is little evidence to suggest this theory is true.

What Beauties?  Chardonnay Grapes up close

A more likely scenario, assisted by modern DNA fingerprinting techniques, suggest Chardonnay is a cross between Pinot Blanc, commonly grown by the French aristocracy, and Heunisch, a grape variety thought to be brought over to France by the Romans; the Pinot being the grape of choice for the aristocracy, and Heunisch being widely cultivated by French peasants. Due to the close proximity of the vines, they had plenty of chances to interbreed. As the parent plants were so genetically distant, a process called heterosis took place and the resulting hybrids became kind of Incredible Hulk-esque and became more powerful than you could imagine. 

---Sorry to interrupt Tom but it’s time for some Science:

Heterosis or hybrid vigour refers to the phenomenon that progeny of diverse varieties of a species or crosses between species exhibit greater biomass, speed of development, and fertility than both parents (Birchler et al. 2010, The Plant Cell).  While it occurs in both plants and animals, there is no consensus as to the underlying mechanisms for heterosis (is it a case of dominance, overdominance, or pseudo-overdominance?).  However, it could prove to be an interesting tool to help increase agricultural productivity.  Different research groups dealing with the issue of increasing crop productivity reached conclusions that the solution lies in improved biomass production by way of enhanced light capture and use efficiency, modified photosystem biochemistry, and improved partitioning of assimilates to the economic part of the plant all of which can be achieved through the process of heterosis (Blum 2013, Journal of Experimental Botany).

---Alright Alex, don’t go all Stephen Hawking on us! Chill!

How about looking at Chardonnay from a viticultural point of view?

Chardonnay has a wonderful reputation for being a bit like a sponge. The surroundings, climate, soil, and even the winemaker all have a massive influence on the resulting wine. Chablis is a perfect example of this. The majority of Grand Cru vineyards in Chablis (Burgundy) are planted on predominantly limestone and chalk, giving the wine itself a fantastic minerality.  Jancis Robinson MW even goes so far as to say that Chablis is the most true and pure expression of the Chardonnay grape.

It’s pretty straight-forward to cultivate, and can easily be manipulated to behave how you want it to.  For instance, it’s an early budding vine, which means it can be susceptible to frost damage. One way this was countered in Burgundy was to give the vines an aggressive pruning just before they try to do their thing, which shocks the vine into holding back on budding usually for about 2 weeks once the danger has passed and the warm weather kicks in.

So far we’ve learned that Chardonnay is easy to grow, historically significant, and a bit like a blank slate. So why does this make people hate the little guy?

Oz Clarke said that Chardonnay is “...the ruthless coloniser and destroyer of the world's vineyards and the world's palates." While I do not agree that Chardie is responsible for destroying the worlds palate, I do agree with his view that Chardonnay was an invader. Countless acres of indigenous varieties were pulled up all over the world to accommodate this newly popular, easy-to-pronounce, easy-to-make-into-wine variety that was taking the world by storm.

Italy and Spain were hit incredibly hard by this, both seeing ancient Negroamaro, Primitivo, Grenache and Mataro vines ripped up in favour of new plantings of Chardonnay.

The new world will also have a share of the blame for the anti-Chardonnay attitudes seen around the world. 

"Borrowed" Chardonnay

A story that I find hilarious about early Chardonnay wine making in Australia is that of Murray Tyrell, based in the Hunter Valley. His entire vineyard was planted from cuttings that he “borrowed” from Penfolds, by hopping their fence at night and giving their vines a bit of a prune… This then went on to become one of the most commercially successful Chardonnays ever. Brilliant, only in Australia!

Now thankfully I’m too young to remember this, but when Chardo-mania hit the world in the mid to late 80s popularity increased across the world, so did demand. Australian farmers simply could not keep up, and had to cut a few corners to continue to meet the demand. One of these corners was adding “filler” varietals, such as Semillon and Colombard to pad out the dwindling supply of Chardonnay grapes. Sadly, the quality went down. And to save time, a lot of winemakers were using oak chips or staves instead of extended barrel ageing. Giving us wines with incredibly acrid and abrasive (verging on abusive) oak flavours. 

In the early 90s Australian Chardonnay, once the farmers had sorted themselves out, was in a wonderful place – polar opposite of the Burgundian style. These wines were big, loud, shouty fruit-bombs, rich and voluptuous with huge hits of tropical fruit. Very appealing to the modern wine-consumer. Over the course of the next 5 years, Chardonnay planting down under increased fivefold. Chardonnay was now seen as ‘fashionable.’

But why would this cause people to recoil in fear when you suggest they try a Chardonnay?

Well, as with all things that become incredibly popular the producers realised they didn’t really need to treat their wine with the respect it deserved. People were still going to buy it by the gallon.

This is where the New Worlds tendency (and the Old Worlds reluctance) to label the variety on the bottle, in my opinion, did the most damage.  Let’s say you buy an Aussie chard from the supermarket and it’s rubbish. Then you do the same thinking it was just a blip and buy another bottle of rubbish. Eventually you’ll tar all Chardonnays with the same brush and develop the mindset that “Chardonnay sucks! I’ll just stick to what I know I like”, even if what you like is a Chardonnay masquerading behind a French word like “Pouilly-Fuissé”, “Mâconnais” or “Chablis.”

Even in 2013 working in wine retail I see examples of this on a weekly basis. One of my favourite questions to be asked at work is “Can you recommend me a wine? I don’t like chardonnay, but really like Chablis” – this makes me both happy and sad. Sad because Chardonnay has been unfairly stigmatized, but happy because people are still enjoying it even if they’re ignorant to what they’re actually drinking.

So next time you’re buying wine and see a Chardonnay, don’t be afraid.  Give in to temptation. 

Do as Kath, Kim & Kylie would do, kick back with a lovely glass of C(h)ardonnay - remember the "H" is silent...it’s nice, it’s different, it’s unusual.

Last of the Summer Wine

Pack up the picnic hamper, light up the barbeque, and slather on the sun tan lotion because the British summertime has arrived at last.  Hurrah!  Now is not the time to be indoors - enjoy long lunches in the sun, picnics in the park, and supper under the stars.  However, you choose to dine this summer, you will of course need a good bottle of wine to compliment your menu.

For the picnic hamper, I suggest great all-rounder white wines, which pair beautifully with cold meats and cheeses, salads or quiches.  Spain produces some fantastically refreshing white wines displaying good complexity meaning they work well with a wide variety of foods.  Watch out for Verdejo/Viura blends - nice acidity, plenty of zesty citrus and green apple notes - they also often come with screw caps, perfect for the picnics.  Another great choice is Gruner Veltliner.  Primarily grown in Austria, Slovakia and Czech Republic, it is known as a food-friendly wine with a zingy refreshing-ness and hints of white pepper.

For seafood and pasta dishes, it's best to avoid robust, oaked whites so look to Italy famous for it's delicately crisp wines.  Pinot Grigio is always a great choice and great value for money - serve with seafood linguine or enjoy on its own as a casual sipper.  Vermentino, also known as Rolle in Southern France, has all the qualities to make it perfect for light fish dishes - attractively aromatic with zingy acidity.  In Tuscany, Vermentino takes on the richer and fuller characteristics associated with Southern French Viognier - a perfect accompaniment to asparagus amd lemon risotto.

Also, high on my list is the little known Godello grape.  Native of the northwestern region of Spain, Valedorras, Godello has ripe melon and tropical fruit notes with a perfect hit of acidity and a delicious salty finish that bring out the best in rich and creamy fish and pasta dishes.

Asian dishes require more full-bodied, off-dry white wines packed with tropical fruits.  Riesling is always a good choice here, be it from Germany, Alsace or Australia but it should be relatively young as some of the older vintages take on more of a kerosene nose, which may be a tad overwhelming with the spiciness of chilli, lime and ginger.  Also of note is Argentine Torrontes - full of peach and apricot aromas and with medium acidity.  It works wonders with ginger based dishes - meat, fish or vegetarian.

The heat of the summertime sun rarely inspires people to reach for a bottle of red.  Yet there is simply nothing better than a beautifully barbequed steak washed down with a full-bodied red wine.  New world wines lend themselves better to the task with their fuller flavours and high tannin levels.  And don't forget their health benefits - tannins and the red wine compound resveratrol aid the digestion of red meat, can reduce blood sugar and promote cardiovascualr health (when consumed in moderation).

Argentine Malbecs are unbeatable in how perfectly they match with BBQ meat with a silky soft texture, juicy dark fruits and plush tannins.  Australian Shiraz is also a prize-winning BBQ wine with notes of blackberry, dark chocolate, eucalyptus and liquorice.  Look out for Aussie Shiraz blended with white varietals, such as Viognier or Riesling (usually 4%).  These lift the character of the wine adding an interesting floral dimension.

If you're feeling adventurous, you could try Tannat - the national grape variety of Uruguay.  Popular in South American Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon blends, and as single varietal red wines in Southern French, it is highly tannic, full-bodied with plenty of spicy notes - all the hallmarks of a perfect BBQ red wine.

One red that I feel is overlooked in the summer months is Beaujolais.  Made from Gamay grapes, it's light in style with powerful strawberry and cherry flavours on the palate.  Surprisingly, this red wine can be served chilled and pairs beautifully with grilled chicken.  It can also withstand the heat and spices of a lot of Asian inspired dishes.

And to give some though to dessert.  Sweet wines, such as Sauternes, are always perfect with fruit based desserts, such as tarte tatin, summer pudding and vanilla macaroons.  And never forget bubbles - a chilled glass of Italian Prosecco and a bowl of fresh strawberries and cream is what summer is all about.

Now, just sit back, sip and enjoy!