Chardonnay on a diet

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Chardonnay grapes growing at the Sugarleaf Vineyards in North Garden, Va. (KAYLIN BOWERS / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES)

Lots of people tell me they flat-out won't drink California Chardonnay: it's too buttery, too fat, too oaky or too flabby. One thing I learned from my recent California trip is that this style of wine still exists, but that it's quickly going by the wayside.

Sure, there are still a lot of unbalanced, creamy California Chardonnays out there, but most are produced in mass quantity from the massive Central Valley, where most of the state's cheaper, big-volume wines originate. But spend a few extra bucks and look for more specific regions on the label and you'll often find a California Chardonnay that brings fresh fruit and acidity with modest, balanced oak.

Take Sonoma County, for example. This region in large part hangs its hat on restrained, balanced wine, especially when it comes to Chardonnay. With over 62,000 acres of vines planted across 12 sub-appellations (regions within the region), Sonoma County Chardonnay is typically made from grapes coming from the cooler regions: the Sonoma Coast, Carneros or the Sonoma Valley. The maritime influence from the Pacific Ocean plays a large part in keeping mornings and evenings cool, with fog impacting temperatures on either side of the warm days of their growing season.

Monterey County and the Livermore Valley are both examples of regions influenced by maritime temperatures where winemakers are producing Chardonnay with a delicate balance of freshness and ripe fruit. Nights are cooler, although daytime temperatures typically aren't as intense as they are in Sonoma County. There's some pretty nice Chardonnay being made in Napa Valley as well, but that region is a touch hotter than the others, and the few examples tried on this trip sometimes lacked a bit of the freshness of a Sonoma or Monterey County Chardonnay.

So how does a winemaker make a Chardonnay less flabby and more vibrant? Oak treatment has a lot to do with it; new barrels bring far more intense oaky notes, so more Chardonnay these days ends up in a combination of new and second-run (or older) barrels for aging.

There are also other techniques winemakers can use -- canopy management (how much the leaves cover the grapes in the vineyard), decisions on when to pick, adding a touch of tartaric acid, etc. The last couple of vintages haven't been scorchers in California, meaning Mother Nature has also done her part to bring a leaner, more focused style of Chardonnay from the vineyard into the winery.

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FOR the most part, California Chardonnay is extremely food-friendly -- try it with fish/shellfish, lighter pork dishes, salads, light to medium cheeses and/or chicken/turkey dishes. Oh, and apologies if the prices/vintages/availability don't match up 100 per cent with what's in the Manitoba market -- I pieced this column together while in California.

WENTE 2010 MORNING FOG CHARDONNAY (Livermore Valley/San Francisco Bay, Calif. -- $14.95

A pioneer in California Chardonnay, Wente's Morning Fog features a splash of Gewürztraminer, which enhances the tropical fruit and spice aromas mashed in with sweet apple and peach notes. It's rich and full-bodied, with red apple, papaya, peach and vanilla notes on the palate. Yet there's still that splash of lemony acidity keeping things bright and balanced. 90/100

CHATEAU ST. JEAN 2010 CHARDONNAY (Sonoma County, Calif. -- $19.99, Liquor Marts and beyond)

This Chardonnay has a great nose: mineral, pear, vanilla, peach, red apple, pineapple and spice all come through. It's medium-plus bodied, and brings rich tropical and peach notes on the palate with a splash of acidity and some latent chalkiness that's quite attractive. 88/100

J. LOHR 2009 RIVERSTONE CHARDONNAY (Arroyo Seco, Calif. -- $19.31, Liquor Marts and beyond)

J. Lohr's most popular Chardonnay comes from this Monterey County sub-appellation, delivering pretty pear, peach, ripe red apple and butterscotch notes on the nose. It's a medium-plus-bodied Chardonnay that brings tropical fruit, peach and caramel notes on the palate, yet retains enough acidity to keep it from becoming flabby -- instead, it shows great balance. Their premium Arroyo Vista Chardonnay is also spectacular; I think I've seen at some of Winnipeg's private wine stores. 89/100

LIBERTY SCHOOL 2009 CHARDONNAY (Central Coast, Calif. -- around $23, private wine stores)

Mineral, red apple, peach, spice and a light vanilla note on the nose show well on the Liberty School Chardonnay, sourced from vineyards in both Monterey and Santa Barbara counties and therefore labelled as being from the overarching Central Coast region. It's a medium-plus-bodied Chardonnay, with red apple, mineral, lemon peel and a hint of nut on the palate. It's a leaner, crisper style of Chardonnay that should appeal to those afraid of the oak. 88/100

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Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 4, 2012 E4