Chardonnay Grapes and Wines

Philippines wine supplier Manila wine shop discusses wine by the grape variety Chardonnay.

Date: October 4, 2010

Chardonnay Grapes and Wines

“Wine, one sip of this will bathe the drooping spirits in delight beyond the bliss of dreams. Be wise and taste.”

~ John Milton (1608-74)

You’ll find Milton’s famous quote on the back label of Acacia Carneros ’98 Chardonnay bottles. For many wine lovers, a good Chardonnay is indeed the bliss of dreams.

The Chardonnay grape is a delicate, sensitive, diminutive grape. It’s expensive to produce, vulnerable to temperature variations and a veritable chameleon of flavors. It’s a fairy princess with gossamer wings—hard to pin down but easy to recognize, distinctive and special.

Chardonnay Origins and Regions

Chardonnay grapes hail from the Burgundy area of France where their vines are the most numerous of all the varieties planted. They’re the only grape permitted in the Chablis region and the Chardonnay grape is also the major varietal used in making Champagne.

The origins of Chardonnay grape vines are difficult to trace, but wine historians believe they were a product of cloning the ancient and little-known Gouais Blanc grape with some type of Pinot grape. This is not to say that Chardonnay is even a close relative of the Pinot–a mistake that’s often made in describing categories of grapes.

Chardonnay grapes are small, thin-skinned and fragile and therefore expensive to grow, harvest and age. They require warm climates with cool nights, although warmer regions have had success growing the vines as well. The temperamental grape is affected by climate and soil variations, so a wide range of flavors and aromas distinguish wines made from Chardonnay grapes.

The 1970s was a period of unprecedented growth for the industry as new plantings came to California, particularly in the Carneros district. Australia’s climate is also good for growing Chardonnay grapes. Recently, Chardonnay grapes have found a home in New Zealand, Chile, Argentina and South Africa. All of these regions produce excellent Chardonnay wines.

Chardonnay Wines

Chardonnay’s variations offer something for every palate, from the most sophisticated to the most pedestrian. A good Chardonnay is most often described as “buttery.” It derives this characteristic from aging in oak barrels. Citrus and apple flavors are typical of chardonnays, although some also carry pineapple, mango, melon, pear, apricot and banana hints. The oak barrel aging can also impart a vanilla tone.

The cooler climates in which Chardonnay grapes are grown account for the grape’s contribution to the citrus taste and fruity flavors. Those grown in warmer climates can yield flavors redolent of honey or butterscotch.

An exception to this palette of flavors is Naked Chardonnay, which is deliberately aged in stainless steel rather than oak. While these wines give up the buttery taste, they enhance the fruit aromas and yield a sharper, edgier, more acidic wine.

The broad range of methods used to produce Chardonnay wines accounts for a wide array of flavors as well as an astounding variance in price. A decent California Chardonnay comes in under $10, while the French award winners easily top $100.

Source: http://www.tasting-wine.com/articles/grape-varieties/chardonnay.php

Leading Philippines Wine Supplier Yats Wine Cellars based in Clark Philippines with outlets in Angeles City, Subic Freeport and Manila Philippines has been not only a wine shop for fine wines covering all major wine regions but also a source of reliable and useful information about wine, wine appreciation, wine accessories, wine and health, food and wine pairing and all other matters relating to wine and its appreciation.  This Philippines Clark Freeport based Wine Supplier and Wine Shop frequently holds public wine tasting events in Pampana Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles City, Subic Bay area, Makati, Fort Bonifacio and other areas in Philippines capital city Manila.  Private Wine events such as private wine tasting and private wine dinners are also designed and organized for private clientele for their wine loving guests.

This wine shop in Angeles Clark Philippines is also renowned for a very unique product called Vintage Beer which many characterize as “Champagne beer” because it comes in a bottle with a Champagne stopper and metal restrainer.  Vintage beers are top-of-the-line luxury beers bottle-conditioned for a slow fermentation to take place inside the bottle, a process that is very similar to Champagne which is designed to not only create the bubbles but also for an amazing complexity and depth of flavors.

For fans of Port and Sauternes, this wine shop in Clark Pampanga has a large selection of vintage port, Sauternes and Barsac as well as Eiswein/Icewine from Austria and Germany.  Likewise, there is a good selection of Vintage Champagne at the wine shoppers’ disposal in the cellars of this wine shop in Clark Pampanga.

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila

Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple:  after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave.  From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City.  From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.

Clark Wine Center

Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building

Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,

Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023

0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)

Wine@Yats-International.com

YATS Wine Cellars

Manila Sales Office

3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,

Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605

(632) 637-5019   0917-520-4393  ask for Rea or Chay

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.  Visitors buy wine in Manila and Pampanga should not miss stopping at this wine shop for a few bottles of fine vintage wines to bring home.