A few years ago a clutch of dastardly style mongers started the Anything But Chardonnay (ABC) movement and almost overnight chardonnay lost it’s cool.
This remains the most serious wine crime in recent memory. If I could track those ABC instigators down I would lock them in a dark, windowless room with The Spice Girls first album on repeat and a constant stream of cheap Chilean sauvignon blanc dripping on their foreheads.
And they’d deserve it. Chardonnay may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there is no doubt it is the king of dry white wines. Not drinking it is fine. But disrespecting the King is treason.
Wine obviously has a significant fashion element to it but to ignore chardonnay on that basis alone is to ignore the beauty of a classic leather jacket just because your kids think you look younger in a hoodie.
Put another way, I am convinced that if Cuisine magazine came out and said that diesel was the next big thing, the serial faddists would be wondering if they should look for it in the red or white wine section…
Seeing Chardonnay decline as a sales category is particularly distressing for us here in the Bay.
We can rightfully claim to be New Zealand’s finest chardonnay region and Hawke’s Bay has dominated the chardonnay class of virtually every Kiwi wine show in living memory.
More than any other grape variety, chardonnay offers the winemaker a chance to express themselves and develop a house style that can be easily recognised by regular purchasers.
And there are so many chardonnay styles to choose from. Chardonnay can be big, bold, buttery and mouthfilling. Or steely, flinty and crisp. Oak can add subtle support or be a major component. Or it can be left out altogether. The possibilities and flavour profiles are endless.
And therein lies a problem. And a potential solution.
On one hand consumers need to know what style they are getting when they pick a bottle of chardonnay from a retail shelf. Unless they read and understand the buzz words on the back label or ask a knowledgeable retailer, it’s a lottery.
On the other hand there is probably a chardonnay style that any white wine drinker can enjoy. Some of the flintier unoaked chardonnays will make an interesting alternative for sauvignon blanc lovers, and the softer unoaked styles will do the same for pinot gris fans. And anyone who enjoys viognier should already be a chardonnay fan.
Habitual riesling drinkers may be harder to accommodate – but given that riesling is the other contender for the world’s greatest white varietal – they probably deserve to be left to their own devices.
Just remember. The King is not dead. Long live the King.
John 'Mac' Macpherson is the owner of Advintage Wine Warehouse, Havelock North, Hawkes Bay and regularly writes about wine for local publications.
There are tons of great Chardonnays and other wines available at all price points right now at www.advintage.co.nz.
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