#Kirkland sancerre wine skin

This fermentation occurs when malic acid, derived from the Latin name for apple, converts to lactic acid after all the sugars have already been converted to alcohol. Currently, Chardonnay wine is the best-selling wine in the United States – red or white! Americans drink over 840,000 bottles of Chardonnay per year! The Taste of ChardonnayĬhardonnay wine has a reputation for being buttery, but the buttery flavor has more to do with Malolactic Fermentation than with being aged in oak barrels. Today, Chardonnay grapes are planted on more than 100,000 acres throughout the state. In 1941, there were less than 100 acres of Chardonnay planted in California. This variety was planted in many California vineyards and is responsible for nearly 80 percent of all Chardonnay plantings in America today. These vines were replanted over 30 to 40 years and became known as the Wente Clone. They used these cuttings and Chardonnay budwood which had been brought to the United States from Burgundy in 1882 to engineer vines with favorable traits. Ernest persuaded Carl to import Chardonnay cuttings from the University of Montpelier in France. He purchased 48 acres in the Livermore Valley in 1883 and expanded when his sons, Ernest and Herman, decided to join the family business. Nearly 60 percent of Burgundy’s wine production is Chardonnay versus 30 percent for Pinot Noir.Ĭarl Wente immigrated to the United States and studied winemaking under Charles Krug in Napa Valley. Chardonnay Wine Productionīurgundy, in France, is famous for its production of Pinot Noir grapes, a red grape variety, however, more Chardonnay grapes are produced there than Pinot Noir. The buttery or oak flavors of some Chardonnay wines are usually the result of winemaker choices and not a characteristic of the grape itself. Chardonnay grapes are grown in cool climates such as Willamette Valley generally have flavors of apple, pear, peach, and citrus with bright acidity. Chardonnay grapes are grown in warm climates such as Napa Valley or Australia generally have tropical fruit flavors such as pineapple, mango, or papaya and soft acidity. The growing location has a broad impact on the flavor of Chardonnay wine.

If you see the term “Blanc de Blancs” on a Champagne label, the wine is usually 100 percent Chardonnay. Chardonnay grapes are a major portion in the production of Champagne as well as other sparkling wines such as Trento and Crémant. Chardonnay grapes are rarely blended into white wine blends with the exception of sparkling wines where they may be blended with Pinot Noir.

#Kirkland sancerre wine skin

The grape has a green skin and a neutral flavor which means that winemakers can affect the taste through technique, oak, and terroir. Gouais Blanc is an obscure grape that is virtually non-existent in France today.Ĭhardonnay grapes are a white wine grape variety that is grown worldwide. Chardonnay was created by accident with a crossing of Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc grapes. It is the most widely-distributed white wine grape in the world, planted in nearly every wine region. The word “Chardonnay” means “place of thistles.”Ĭhardonnay is highly adaptable to a wide range of climates and soils. It was spelled a variety of ways through the years until “ Chardonnay” became standardized in the 1890s. The name Chardonnay comes from the village of Chardonnay in the Mâcon region of Burgundy. Chardonnay is considered to be a more complex wine, whereas Pinot Grigio is a more simple wine.Chardonnay is usually a creamy wine with a fresh-cut grass aroma, whereas Pinot Grigio is tart and light.Chardonnay comes from green-skinned grapes, whereas Pinot Grigio comes from grayish-blue grapes.The main differences between Chardonnay vs Pinot Grigio are: The Main Differences Between Chardonnay vs Pinot Grigio What Are the Similarities Between Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio Wines?.The Main Differences Between Chardonnay vs Pinot Grigio.