Chardonnay

The ubiquitous Chardonnay is one of the most food friendly white grapes. Chardonnay has been nurtured in the Burgundy region of France for centuries and although you will almost never see the name on the bottle, almost all white wines from the Burgundy region of France are made from it. In the northern part of Burgundy it is Chablis, and in the south, Mâcon. And in between... Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise, Montagny and many more. It can be oaked or unoaked. If it comes from Chablis it is likely to be unoaked, if it comes from the Côte de Beaune it will probably have been matured in new oak barrels and it may even have been barrel fermented with a period of maturation on its lees. If it's from the Côte Chalonnaise or Montagny it may - or may not - be partly oaked (our white Givry is, our Montagny is not). Chardonnay from the Côte de Nuits could have some Pinot Blanc mixed with it, adding a touch of Alsatian spiciness. The unique steely, minerally character of Chablis does not need rich food and goes extremely well with fresh fish - especially river fish - poached salmon, and all shellfish. If your Chardonnay is oaked try it with smoked salmon, or any fish in a rich, buttery sauce. If it is a lightly oaked Givry or an unoaked Montagny, pasta, poultry or pork in a light, creamy sauce is often a good choice.

Recommended Chardonnay vineyards:
Chablis (unoaked) - Domaine Chalmeau
Chablis (unoaked, vieilles vignes and 1er cru) - Domaine Seguinot-Bordet
Montagny 1er cru (unoaked) - Domaine Michel-Andreotti (comes with a Bourgogne rouge)
Mâcon (oaked) - Domaine Lacharme (comes with a Bourgogne rouge)
Pouilly-Fuissé (oaked) - Domaine du Vieux Puits