Stories behind the wine

One of the most controversial wines on the planet, Chardonnay, is a very intriguing wine because each bottle of Chardonnay will have its own unique characters. Ten years ago, big buttery Chardonnays were the fad, like socks and sandals, but now the more popular style of Chardonnay only have subtle undertones of butter flavor. Are you wondering how the Chardonnay gets that buttery flavor? It happens in the winemaking process by adding an extra step referred to as malolactic fermentation. The rule of thumb is almost no white wines ever go through MLF…except for Chardonnay. The winemaker will also take the sediment (also referred to as lees) from the bottom of the tank and stir it back into the mixture. The wine is then left to age until the winemaker feels there is enough butter flavor. This entire process makes Chardonnay an incredibly unique and challenging varietal for winemakers to work with.