Chardonnay Showdown

Burgundy equates for many to Pinot Noir. But, in the Burgundy region the white wine, or “white Burgundy” is made from Chardonnay grapes. So it’s no surprise that, along with our world famous Pinot Noir and many other great varieties, Chardonnay does charmingly well here also.
Chardonnay succumbed to a not so favorable reputation in the past, with terms touted such as ABC “Anything But Chardonnay”. This in many ways came about from a style of Chardonnay in which the wine was heavily oaked, often using oak products other than barrels, creating wines loaded with oak ‘flavour’ with the resultant effect of overblown fruit and wood wines leaving one feeling like you had been drinking jungle juice while sucking on a piece of sappy timber.
The truth is that Chardonnay is one of the most malleable grape varieties, which gives the winemaker an opportunity to make decisions as to the end style. It is also a very true lens for how well a wine has been grown and made. One of the most obvious is whether the wine comes into contact with oak barrels, or not at all.
We think that ABC for Chardonnay means “A Better Choice” for the discerning wine drinker. To champion this great grape varietal we have created Chardonnay Showdown, an opportunity for you to come into the store and casually taste four very different wines from our local producers.
Come and discover your preferred style of Martinborough Chardonnay. We will pour you four different Chardonnays and you get to compare these shoulder to shoulder. This is an even more fun experience with a few friends! We want you to tell us your preferred wine or style. At the end of each week another flight of four will be available to taste, but the most preferred Chardonnay will stay in the flight.
The Chardonnay Showdown will continue through to August, and then we will be set to uncover and discover our favourite Pinot Noir.