“Each bottle of our 2022 Halleck Vineyard Balletto Russian River Valley Chardonnay is like a whispered secret between the verdant lands of Sonoma County and the relentless waves of the Pacific. As vintners, we’re merely the translators of this intimate dialogue, crafting a liquid expression that carries within the tales of the soil, the fog, and the vines’ yearning to be told. Tipping its hat to Grand Cru White Burgundy, we offer this pursuit of excellence,” says Ross Halleck, Vintner.

This Chardonnay is cultivated from Clone 17 on 114 rootstock grapes, grown exclusively for Halleck Vineyard by the esteemed Balletto Vineyards. The marine fog layers from morning to mid-afternoon have kissed these vines, infusing the grapes with a unique blend of flavors only found in this region.

This vineyard is Certified Green by the Lodi Rules on Sustainable Winegrowing, emphasizing our commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainable practices.

Award Winning Sonoma Wines

Tasting Notes

This Russian River Valley Chardonnay is a symphony to the senses. The expressive nose is enveloped in floral notes and delicate citrus and green apple aromas. On the palate, bright, crisp acids dance with minerality, leading to a silky mouthfeel. The flavor unfolds with a bouquet of green apple and floral notes, accentuated by hints of spice and a touch of salinity, reminiscent of a grand cru White Burgundy.

Winemaking Process

The 2022 Halleck Vineyard Balletto Chardonnay was meticulously fermented in steel tanks, with 20% of the wine residing for three weeks in neutral Oak, enhancing its texture and complexity. There was no malolactic fermentation, preserving the wine’s crispness. Post-fermentation, the wine was tank-aged until bottling to refine its flavors further.

Pair this enchanting Chardonnay with creamy Jasper Hill Farms Willoughby cheese, succulent scallops, or a hearty roast chicken to elevate your culinary experience.

With only 182 cases produced, we invite you to indulge in this limited edition release, a true celebration of the Russian River Valley’s allure.

Technical Details

• Alcohol: 13.5%
• Vintage: 2022
• Varietal: Chardonnay
• Appellation: Russian River Valley
• Vineyard Designation: Balletto Vineyards
• Sugar: 0
• Acid: 6.37g / L
• Bottling Date: August 2023
• Residual Sugar: .61g / L

About Halleck Vineyard

Nestled within the esteemed American Viticultural Areas of Sonoma County, Halleck Vineyard stands as a hallmark of viticultural finesse and legacy, specializing in crafting illustrious Pinot Noirs, cool-climate white wines, and ethereal rosés. Our wines are meticulously crafted from revered – Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, and Sonoma Mountain AVAs, embodying the quintessence of these unique terroirs.

A family-owned winery, we at Halleck Vineyard are deeply committed to perpetuating a tradition of winemaking that resonates with connoisseurs and casual enthusiasts. Our wines have been judged Best of Class on seven occasions in top-tier wine judicatures, including the prestigious San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, Sunset Magazine International Wine Competition, and the California State Fair. Such accolades reflect not merely the finesse of our wines but our ongoing pursuit of excellence.

We make small production vintages available through allocation and served on the tables of Michelin-starred restaurants in San Francisco, Chicago, and New York. This ensures our wines find a place among those with a seasoned appreciation for exceptional experiences.

We warmly invite you to delve into the Halleck Vineyard experience at a wine tasting salon nestled at our serene Sebastopol Estate Winery. We open our doors to guests for an intimate exploration of our wines on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays by appointment only. Here, with sweeping Russian River Valley views amidst the whispers of the cool Pacific breeze, you will uncover the narrative of each bottle, intricately woven with the threads of tradition, passion, and our unyielding quest for perfection.

Let your journey of the senses commence at Halleck Vineyard, where every sip is a tribute to the legacy and majesty of Sonoma County.

And, at Halleck Vineyard, we’re pretty partial to this white wine varietal as well. We recently bottled one of our best Chardonnays, and as such, we wanted to take the time to really appreciate this special wine. 

We’re here to tell you all about this incredible wine variety. We’ll talk about the history of Chardonnay, the tasting notes, the calorie breakdown, the best food pairings, and more. 

What is chardonnay wine?

Chardonnay is an immensely popular dry white wine that can be found in most wine-growing regions around the world. From California to New York, Quebec to Italy, South Africa to New Zealand – Chardonnay has its hold on the industry. 

A glass of Chardonnay can range in color from pale yellow to straw gold, and is medium to full-bodied with moderate tannins and acidity. 

Chardonnay is known for its adaptability, ageability, and buttery taste. It’s also one of the easiest wine grapes to grow – which has helped its popularity take off around the globe. 

Chardonnay grapes

Chardonnay grapes are just as happy in cool climates as they are in warm ones. And that has made them one of the most widely-planted grape varieties on Earth. They are used to make not just Chardonnay, but Champagne, sparkling wine, and dessert wine as well. 

The grapes used in Chardonnay white wine are yellow-green at first ripening, and often darken to yellow or green-brown by harvest. These small, round grapes maintain quite high acidity and green fruit flavors in cool climates, but take on tropical fruit flavors in warmth.

Chardonnay of esteemed quality can be made in most any climate. But the best qualities in Chardonnay grapes are expressed in areas with soil high in chalk, clay, and limestone. 

This is why Chardonnay fairs so well in Sonoma County and the Russian River Valley in particular. 

Indeed, Chardonnay grapes truly take on the flavor of their terroir (that is, the soil and climate they are grown in). This allows for many styles of Chardonnay to be produced, from smoky and citrusy wines to mineral-driven wines to honeyed tropical ones. 

Chardonnay tasting notes

Because Chardonnay grapes are so expressive of their terroir, the range of resulting flavors is incredibly nuanced and diverse. The primary fruit flavors can be anywhere from meyer lemon zest to passionfruit to baked apples. 

A cooler climate Chardonnay will be more citrus-forward. Meanwhile, a warmer climate or late harvest Chardonnay will have a bit less acidity, with notes of papaya, pineapple, or fig. 

In certain soils, Chardonnay picks up flavors of wet flint rocks, beeswax, or jasmine. 

But these are just one aspect of a Chardonnay wine’s flavors. Indeed, a whole host of other flavors are imparted not by the soil, or by the grapes, but by the winemaking process. 

Oaked vs unoaked chardonnay – what’s the difference?

The big difference between oaked vs unoaked Chardonnay is the flavor – because you can’t get that signature buttery taste without oaking your wine. 

Where does the butter flavor in Chardonnay come from?

The butter flavor comes from diacetyl, a byproduct of the malolactic fermentation process within the oak barrel. This is a process most red wines go through. However, Chardonnay is one of the few white wines that has the depth and strength to stand up to it. 

Malolactic fermentation (MLF) is a process where Oenococcus oeni (a good bacteria) converts malic acid into lactic acid.

Malic acid is something found in grapes and green apples, which contributes to their tartness. Lactic acid, on the other hand, is found in dairy products. It is a softer, creamier acid. So you can already see how this process can transform an acidic wine into a creamy one.

Winemakers may add different strains of bacteria to strengthen or diminish this chemical process. Or they may simply trust nature to do its work.

But it’s the resulting diacetyl that is the star in an oaked Chardonnay. Diacetyl is used to make “butter flavored” popcorn taste like butter – and it creates our iconic buttery wine as well. 

Chardonnay that is aged in oak barrels may also express notes of vanilla, coconut, and baking spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. It often tends toward more tropical fruit flavors. 

Not all Chardonnay is oaked though, and unoaked Chardonnay has a very different personality than her smooth sister. 

What does an unoaked Chardonnay taste like?

Unoaked Chardonnay is made in stainless steel barrels. Because the MLF is blocked, it doesn’t take on buttery qualities. Instead, it has a crisp taste and tart flavors of lemon, pear and green apple – a bit like a Pinot Grigio, but less floral.

This white wine is fresh, bright, and distinctly dry. The notes of acid and minerality are truly allowed to shine through, which makes it tingly and light on the tongue. 

At this point, you might be wondering how such distinctly different wine styles came about! So let’s take a look at where Chardonnay wine came from, and where it’s going. 

A brief history of Chardonnay

Chardonnay’s origins stretch back a thousand year, and many of those years are shrouded in mystery. It wasn’t until quite recently that scientists discovered Chardonnay grapes to be a crossbreed of half Pinot Noir and half Gouais Blanc.

Gouais Blanc originated in Croatia, spread throughout the Roman empire, and today is all but extinct. We are incredibly lucky that nature took its course and gave us the gift of Chardonnay. 

Beginnings in Burgundy

Chardonnay is named after the place it was first cultivated – the little village of Chardonnay in the Burgundy region of France. It was tended to by Cistercian monks, who set up vineyards in the 14th century solely dedicated to the grape.

These monks were the first to recognize that variations in soil and climate affected the flavor in the wine. Their notes have inspired many of our modern day winemaking techniques. 

The wines they produced were buttery, beautiful, and instantly iconic. 

Barreling towards disaster

Because Chardonnay fared so well in France, immigrants took the vine to the Americas in hope to achieve success in the New World. 

This did indeed go well for a while. But, in the age of excess (also known as the 1980s) – when wine drinking was extra in-fashion – things took a bit of a turn. 

Big businesses tried to capitalize on the popularity of Chardonnay by flooding the market with affordable bottles. Unfortunately, they cared more about profit margins than perfection, and these heavily oaked borderline sweet wines received some serious backlash. 

Chardonnay became associated with a low class wine for people who don’t really like wine. The Frappuccino of the wine world if you will. It even earned itself the acronym ABC.

Anything but Chardonnay.

Thankfully, all was not lost. Some thoughtful vintners set about finding the very best qualities in their Chardonnay grapes, and a new style of Chardonnay was carefully tended. 

Chardonnay finds its balance

In the past couple decades, a new wave of Chardonnay has been born. This Chardonnay is less oaky, and more refined. It’s the partially-oaked Chardonnay wine. A wine with elegance and freshness – where the best features of the fruit are brought to light. 

When oaking is dialed back, it allows the wine to age incredibly while still reflecting the terroir of its birth. The best of these balanced Chardonnays come from Sonoma California, and in particular, the Russian River Valley. 

This change and variety in flavors and styles has often left wine drinkers perplexed: “Is Chardonnay sweet or dry?” “What style was my Chardonnay made in?” “How many calories in a bottle of Chardonnay wine?”

Let’s find out. 

What’s in a glass? Dissecting your Chardonnay

What is Chardonnay Wine? History, Tasting Notes, and Pairing Tips

We’re here to end the confusion once and for all. Chardonnay wine is dry. That is to say, it is classically made with little-to-no residual sugar after the fermentation process is through.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t detect hints of sweetness in a glass of Chardonnay. A fruit-forward Chardonnay might have notes of baked apple, mango, or pineapple.

The oaking process as well can impart caramelly, buttery qualities to your glass – which can be confused with a sweet taste. 

All things considered, however, Chardonnay is quite a dry white wine. It is nowhere near as sweet as a Riesling or Moscato. But, if you look at a Chardonnay vs Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay doesn’t hold quite the same dry zing. 

This balance has made Chardonnay a perfect fit for many wine drinkers. 

Even though Chardonnay is a delightfully dry wine, all alcohol has calories. Let’s look at how many carbs are in Chardonnay, and how many calories are in a glass of Chardonnay wine. 

Calories in Chardonnay

A typical 5-ounce serving of Chardonnay wine has 120 calories. This means there are around 625 calories in a bottle of Chardonnay. 

If there is a touch of residual sugar in your wine, it will also contain some carbs. Rest assured that your glass of wine would only contain a small amount of them. You can expect to find around 2 grams of carbohydrates in your serving of Chardonnay. 

So now that you know what’s in your glass…what do you do with it? Let’s dive into the very best pairings for your refreshing white wine. 

The perfect pairings for Chardonnay wine

Because Chardonnay has such a vast range of flavors, it is delightfully easy to pair with a variety of foods. 

All types of seafood are a good place to start, from grilled fish to raw fish to shellfish. 

White meats like chicken and pork can also work nicely, especially if prepared with a mild, buttery, or creamy sauce. When pairing meats with Chardonnay of any kind, you want to avoid any super sweet sauces. 

Depending on if your wine is oaked or unoaked, you will be able to play off different nuances when pairing your wine with food. 

Serve your Chardonnay slightly chilled between 50–55 °F to get the most out of it. You can also opt for a Chardonnay wine glass (the widest wine glass used for white wine). This will dispense the bold flavors evenly across your palate. 

Food pairings for oaked Chardonnay

The complexity, richness, and buttery undertones of an oaked Chardonnay make it a perfect match with fresh lobster. It can also stand up nicely to the richness in crab, veal, pork, chicken, and fatty fishes like seared salmon. 

A heavily oaked Chardonnay will work wonders with bolder cheese such as Camembert or blue cheese. 

You can also compliment your oaky wine with roasted flavors, from smoked foods to caramelized onions to toasted nuts. 

Food pairings for unoaked Chardonnay

In contrast, an unoaked Chardonnay will pair best with more delicate white meat flavors. White fish, simple roast chicken with herbs, or some fresh shrimp would work very nicely with this crisp white wine. 

You might also try pairing your unoaked Chardonnay with a soft, creamy cheese like goat cheese or Brie. Creamy soups and pasta dishes are also delicious accompaniments. 

Experience the best of California Chardonnay

If you’ve sworn off Chardonnay because of some unfortunately over-oaked experiences, you haven’t had the right bottle yet. But this is it.

Our Sonoma Chardonnay wine is the best of both worlds. A New World wine with Old World style and the perfect balance of acidity, minerality, and the lightest hints of oak. 

Are you a fan of White Burgundy? Do you want your sip to take you back to an era where Chardonnay was at its most refined? Then this is the wine for you.

Chardonnay got a bad reputation in the 80s because of some heavy-handed winemaking, but it’s important not to discount the variety from one style alone. Chardonnay is an incredibly sophisticated grape. We even use it to make Champagne! 

And so, we think it’s important for you to learn a little bit more about what Chardonnay wine is. You’re about to learn how it’s made, and if Chardonnay is sweet or dry. That way, you can find the perfect bottles for any event. 

What is Chardonnay – and how does it taste?

What is Chardonnay? Chardonnay is the most enjoyable white wine grape to grow! 

The Chardonnay grape is a green-skinned grape that originated in the Burgundy region of France. It’s a cross between two varieties of grape: Pinot Noir and the nearly-extinct Gouais Blanc. 

The resulting Chardonnay grapes were a godsend. They are robust and fare well in a variety of climates. 

They are also naturally neutral grapes, which means they take on the flavors and characteristics of the terroir where they are planted. Terroir is a wine term used to describe the soil and climate of the winemaking area. 

The grapes were easy to grow, and the flavors were a dream to mold with winemaking techniques. And so, Chardonnay quickly spread from Burgundy to most major wine regions in the world, including the United States, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. 

General Chardonnay tasting notes

In general, Chardonnay is a fruit-forward wine with medium-to-full body and lower acidity levels. It is known to be relatively dry. (This doesn’t mean it can’t be sweet – we will get into this later.)

But it can be difficult to describe how a Chardonnay wine tastes because no two bottles are the same. 

Some Chardonnay wines have notes of lemon peel and crisp pear. 

Others tends toward tropical flavors of pineapple and mango. 

Some bottles are remarkably buttery, while others have an acidic zing. 

Chardonnay from Sonoma County

A sip of Chardonnay can conjure notions of jasmine, honeysuckle, cucumber, and mint. It can also have notes of chalk, wet stones, mushrooms, caramel, and nutmeg.

How does such a diverse wine exist? 

Let’s touch on what causes each of these unique flavor profiles. That way, you can identify the best bottles of Chardonnay for your tastes and answer the question, “is Chardonnay sweet or dry?” with confidence. 

One of the most important factors in a Chardonnay wine’s taste is the winemaking process. That is, whether it is oaked or unoaked.

Let’s take a look at these very different fermentation processes for Chardonnay wine, and the flavor profiles of the wines that result from them. 

Oaked Chardonnay tasting notes

And oaked Chardonnay is one that has been fermented or aged in oak barrels. The uncontrolled temperature helps to cause malolactic fermentation, which affects the texture and flavor of the wine. 

This style of fermentation is popular in Burgundy, Napa Valley, South Africa, Southern Australia, and Puglia, Italy. 

Chardonnay that has been oaked will express warmer, creamier notes of butter, vanilla, pineapple, papaya, coconut, or baking spice. These notes can make the wine appear sweeter, and many people who think Chardonnay is sweet have only tried heavily-oaked versions. 

But, despite this signature buttery sensation, an oaked Chardonnay is still quite a dry wine. 

Unoaked Chardonnay tasting notes

The unoaked Chardonnay taste is quite different from that of its buttery sister. Unoaked Chardonnay has been aged or fermented in stainless steel tanks instead of oak barrels. This blocks the malolactic fermentation process and creates a drier, more acidic taste. 

This style of Chardonnay is popular in cool climates like the Willamette Valley, Western Australia, Chablis, France, and Casa Blanca Valley, Chile. 

Chardonnay that is unoaked will often taste more of citrus fruits like lime, lemon, or grapefruit, as well as tart green apple. It is distinctly bright and fruity – more akin to a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. 

When comparing unoaked Chardonnay vs Sauvignon Blanc, the latter still has higher acidity and more herbaceous flavors, so it might appear more dry than the Chardonnay. 

So does that mean even unoaked Chardonnay is sweet? Let’s take a look at where Chardonnay falls on the wine sweetness scale. 

Is Chardonnay sweet? The wine sweetness scale

Is Chardonnay sweet? Not according to most people – and certainly not according to a wine sweetness chart. 

Many people are falsely mistaken that Chardonnay is sweet like a Moscato or Rosé, but it is actually made in a dry style. 

In the world of winemaking, “dry” simply means that the yeast has eaten most of the sugars in the grape juice to turn them into alcohol. Any sugar left over at the end of fermentation is called “residual sugar.” If a wine has less than 10 grams of residual sugar per liter, it is considered dry. 

Chardonnay generally falls into this category. 

In fact, Chablis, which is made from 100% Chardonnay grapes, is one of the driest white wines, as is Chardonnay-based Brut Champagne. 

Let’s take a quick look at a white wine sweetness scale so you can see if Chardonnay is sweet or dry:

• Bone Dry (Less than 1 gram of sugar per liter): Muscadet, Brut Nature

• Dry (Less than 10 grams of sugar per liter): Chablis, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier
• Off-Dry (10-35 grams of sugar per liter): Early-harvest Riesling, Gewürztraminer wine
• Sweet (35-120 grams of sugar per liter): Late-harvest Riesling, Barsac, Sauternes, Muscat
• Very Sweet (More than 120 grams of sugar per liter): Sherry, Ice Wine 

As you can see, Chardonnay is a dry white wine, but that doesn’t mean sweet Chardonnay doesn’t exist. Chardonnay grapes can be made into anything from a bone-dry wine to a sweet dessert wine.

Even if it is made in the dry style, there are several factors that can make you perceive that your Chardonnay is sweet.

What makes it so that a Chardonnay is sweet or dry? Let’s take a look at some of the external factors affecting your bottle of wine. 

Why is Chardonnay sweet or dry?

Sweetness means different things to different people. What is sweet to one person might not be to another – but that’s also one of the things we love about wine. It’s an incredible personal journey to discover your preferences. 

The sensation of sweetness doesn’t always have to do with sugar content. It may have to do with the fruitiness, the alcohol content, a lower acidity, or the way the wine was made. Here are just a few of the things that may affect the sweetness of your Chardonnay wine. 

Region

Because Chardonnay grapes are so expressive of their terrior, regional variations play an essential role in the flavors of Chardonnay wine. 

Cool climate Chardonnay will typically be more acidic and lighter-bodied. These Chardonnay wines tend toward citrus or pomaceous fruit flavors and minerality, and the lighter alcohol content makes them elegant and refreshing on the tongue. 

Some regions where this style is common include Burgundy, Champagne, Sonoma Coast, Willamette Valley, Tasmania, New Zealand, Northern Italy, Germany, Austria, and Chile. 

Warm climate Chardonnay is very different indeed. It has higher alcohol content, lower acidity, a fuller body, and bold tropical fruit flavors of guava, yellow peach, pineapple, passionfruit, banana, or mango. 

Because of the lower acidity and higher alcohol content, it may appear that your Chardonnay is sweet. The opulent fruit flavors can also give this impression of sweetness. 

You can find this style of Chardonnay in Southern Italy, South Africa, South Australia, and much of Spain and California. 

Winemaking techniques

One of the biggest influences on whether Chardonnay is sweet is the winemaking process. The type and size of the barrel is important. But the amount of time the wine spends in it and the fermentation choices of the winemaker also play a significant role in the resulting flavors. 

If the winemaker chooses to oak their Chardonnay, it may appear that the Chardonnay is sweet. The malolactic fermentation will produce a buttery mouthfeel and notes of vanilla, caramel, or baking spices. This can lead to a remarkably desert-like quality, even if the wine is dry. 

The longer the Chardonnay spends in oak, the stronger these secondary flavors will become. The sugar compounds present in the wood will slowly be extracted into the wine, making it appear sweeter and sweeter. 

In addition, some winemakers will actually add sweeteners and other ingredients during the winemaking process. This could be to extend the wine’s shelf or could be to mask the low quality of their wine grapes. You certainly don’t want your wine to be sweet because of this! 

It’s important to find winemakers that are transparent about their processes and produce wine of a high caliber. 

If you’re looking for a very dry Chardonnay, you might wish to try an unoaked one. Temperature-controlled stainless steel barrels stop the malolactic fermentation process, making unoaked Chardonnay wines more sharp, mineral, acidic, and refreshing. 

Temperature

Just like any white wine, Chardonnay should be served chilled. That’s because if the wine is too warm, the flavors will be muddled, and the alcohol will be front and center. 

A higher level of alcohol can make a wine appear sweeter, and so, if you serve your wine too warm, you may think your Chardonnay is sweet. 

Conversely, if you serve your wine too cold, you won’t be able to taste all the beautiful nuances in your glass. We recommend serving it at a temperature between 50–55 °F. You can chill it with a 30-minute ice bath or a few hours in the fridge. 

Harvest time

The time of harvest can also affect the sweetness of your wine. The longer a grape is left on the vine, the higher sugar content it develops and the lower the acidity gets. Vintners in warmer regions often choose to let Chardonnay grapes ripen fully before harvesting. 

With late harvest, the once-green grapes turn golden-yellow, and the resulting Chardonnay is sweet in comparison to other Chardonnay wines. It will taste less acidic, and more fruity and tropical, so even if the residual sugar is still low, there will be hints of sweetness on your palate. 

An early-harvest Chardonnay, by contrast, will appear more tart and dry. 

How to find the perfect Chardonnay wine for you

With over 25% of Americans enjoying Chardonnay on a regular basis, you know the varietal is doing something right. So now you just have to find the right bottle for YOU. 

One bottle of Chardonnay is incredibly different from the next, which can make it intimidating to find a bottle you like. But it also means that once you understand your preferences, you will absolutely be able to find a Chardonnay wine that suits them. 

If you are hoping your Chardonnay is sweet, you might want to try an oaked, warm climate or late-harvest Chardonnay wine. 

If you want a distinctly dry and acidic Chardonnay, you can try a cool climate, unoaked variety.

Or, you might like to try an artfully balanced Chardonnay like the Chardonnay wine from Halleck Vineyard. 

Our Chardonnay tips its hat to Old World styles from Chablis, France. It has none of the heavy butteriness that you would expect from an oaked wine – it has been oaked just long enough to round out the mouthfeel. 

Our Chardonnay has spent most of its time in stainless steel. Therefore, it has crisp acidity, ample minerality, and a hint of salinity on the back of the palate. With a delicate nose of green apple and white flowers, and a taste of tart citrus, apple, and pear, this Chardonnay is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

We’re here to demystify this delightful white wine. We’ll discuss what makes one Chardonnay taste so different from another – so you can choose the perfect bottle to suit your personal tastes. 

How does Chardonnay taste? A complete comparison

Chardonnay grapes are known as neutral grapes, which means they don’t have a lot of flavor or aromatic notes on their own. Instead, the taste of Chardonnay is affected by the terroir of the region where it was planted. 

The soil, the sun, the fog, and the rain can all paint broad strokes of influence across the blank canvas of Chardonnay taste. And, as luck would have it, Chardonnay grapes are incredibly hearty and easy to grow in most winemaking regions around the world. 

This means there is vast diversity in Chardonnay tastes. One plot of soil can produce a very different wine than the one next to it. A cool climate Chardonnay might taste of tart green apple or lemon zest. Meanwhile a warm climate Chardonnay may deliver tropical pineapple on your palate. 

If you’ve only tried Chardonnay from one region, you are missing out on an enormous variety of mouthfeels and flavors. A Chardonnay from Burgundy, Australia, Italy, and California will almost taste like different wine varieties entirely. 

Only part of this is due to the region. The rest is due to the winemaking techniques. 

Because Chardonnay grapes are naturally high in acidity, and are so neutral in flavor, they lend well to aging. The strength of their structure and their fleshy texture allows them to stand up to oaking, as only few white wines can. 

What is oaking, and why is it done to wine?

Oaking is the process of aging or fermenting wine in oak barrels, and the practice of oaking actually started by accident. 

Before oak, the main winemaking vessel was a clay amphora, which was exceedingly popular in Europe and West Asia up through the Roman Empire. Clay was a wonderful wine vessel because it was airtight, but unfortunately it was also incredibly heavy and difficult to transport. 

Eventually the Romans came across the Gauls, who were using wooden barrels to transport beer. The Romans decided to try it for their wine. They determined that oak would be the best medium because it was not only plentiful, but soft and easy to bend into barrels. 

These lighter, waterproof vessels soon replaced the clay amphora in most of Europe, although the clay vessels are still used in Georgian winemaking today. 

The Romans started to notice a change in the quality of their drink, after using these oak barrels to transport their wine for quite some time, . The wine had more flavor complexity and textural interest! 

How does oak affect taste?

How (and how much) oak affects the flavor and texture of wine depends heavily on the choices of the winemaker. Size, toast level, length of ageing, and type of oak all play a part in the unique way oaking affects the wine’s taste. 

To start, let’s talk about what takes place chemically when wine is stored in oak barrels.

Wood is a porous material that allows the wine to be exposed to oxygen and varying temperatures. This permits the wine to go through a process known as malolactic fermentation (MLF). 

When Chardonnay goes through ML, benign bacteria changes the tart malic acid (which gives the wine its citrusy/green apple sort of flavor) into lactic acid, which is found in dairy products. The process also creates the byproduct diacetyl. 

Diacetyl is what is responsible for the signature buttery flavor of oaked Chardonnay. It was also used to flavor movie theater buttered popcorn for years. The lactic acid only adds to this buttery effect by giving the wine a creamier flavor and mouthfeel. 

The longer Chardonnay sits in oak, the more buttery and oily it will become. Flavors from the wood itself will also start to leech into the wine. What flavors these are depend entirely on the wood. 

For example, French oak imparts flavors of vanilla bean, savory spices, and smoke. Whereas American oak lends to flavors of vanilla extract, baking spices, and coconut. 

New oak barrels will more strongly affect the flavor, as will oak that has been toasted longer. Smaller oak barrels will also affect the flavor more because of the higher wood surface to wine ratio. 

Neutral oak barrels, on the other hand, will only affect the mouthfeel and not the Chardonnay taste itself. 

In general, an oaked Chardonnay will have a fuller body, lower acidity, and toasty, nutty, buttery, and even sweet notes. 

Now you may look at those tasting notes and wonder: “is Chardonnay sweet or dry?” We’re here to tell you that even an oaked Chardonnay wine is generally made in the dry style. 

When Chardonnay has been “over-vintaged, meaning it has been oaked for over a year, it can start to become cloyingly buttery and oily. This dessert-like flavor and texture is what turned off so many wine connoisseurs in the 80s, when oaky was in.

But Chardonnay grapes have many tricks up their sleeves, and so, the unoaked variety of Chardonnay started to gain popularity in the backlash against oak. 

How does unoaked Chardonnay taste?

It would almost be more apt to compare unoaked Chardonnay vs Sauvignon Blanc than vs oaked Chardonnay. 

Unoaked Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc share a number of similar flavor profiles and textures, though the Sauv Blanc is a bit more acidic and vegetal. 

Unoaked Chardonnay is bright and crisp, with a lean mouthfeel that sits on the center of your tongue. This is in stark comparison to its oaky sister, which covers the entire midsection of the palate with its robust, buttery texture. 

How is this distinctly different Chardonnay made? In stainless steel tanks. 

Stainless steel is impermeable, creating a space free from oxygenation or temperature fluctuations. This means the wine is blocked from malolactic fermentation, and the pure fruit character of the Chardonnay is preserved. 

The resulting wine sings the pure song of its homeland. An ode to the soil and sanctuary of its birth. 

A cooler climate like Sonoma County, California; WIllamette Valley, Oregon: Loire and Chablis, France; Casablanca Valley, Chile; or Western Australia can produce Chardonnay tastes from tart lemon to zesty grapefruit to crisp green apple. 

A temperate climate or later harvest in a cool climate region might produce Chardonnay tastes of yellow apple, pear, or stone fruits. 

And a warmer climate like Napa Valley, California; Puglia, Italy; Burgundy, France; Mendoza, Argentine; or Southern Australia will create more tropical fruit flavors in the wine – from pineapple to passionfruit to starfruit and mango. 

None of the butter, toast, or vanilla flavors from oaking will be present in an unoaked Chardonnay. Instead, you might find minerally notes in your glass – especially if it’s a cool climate unoaked Chardonnay. 

Notes of chalk, fresh soil, oyster shell, or pencil shavings can come through after the immediate nose of bright fruit. The unoaked wine will be more firm and structured, and leave you with a long, tingley, and often floral finish. 

If you prefer your white wine to be on the drier and more mineral side of things, you should consider a bottle of unoaked Chardonnay over the more popular oaked variety. 

Or, you can find a bottle with a balance of both. Some winemakers combine stainless steel fermentation with a few months of oak ageing. This produces a wine with just a hint of oak and a fuller mouthfeel, which can appeal to a wide range of palates. 

Because of the different levels of “oakiness” that can be found in your bottle of Chardonnay, it can often be quite tricky to pair with foods. But, with a few tricks, you’ll be seamlessly integrating your bottle of Chardonnay into any mealtime. 

The best food pairings for Chardonnay wine

With so many styles of Chardonnay, it’s important to discuss the nuances of each when attempting to pair your wine with food. Here are our top recommendations for Chardonnay wine on the whole, as well as what will pair best with an oaked or unoaked Chardonnay taste. 

In general, you must remember the neutral quality of the grape. For that reason, it is recommended to pair your Chardonnay wine with dishes that are light, creamy, and simply seasoned. 

White meats like white fish, shellfish, chicken, and pork are sure pairings when prepared in the proper styles. We will give examples for both oaked and unoaked wines below. 

Something easier to talk about while generalizing are foods that are best to avoid. 

Strong pungent or spicy foods can easily overwhelm your Chardonnay wine. For this reason it’s best not to pair it with Chinese, Indian, or Thai cuisine. 

Unless your Chardonnay is quite acidic, like an unoaked cool climate Chardonnay, it’s also best to avoid acidic foods. Too much acid, such as in capers, olives, raw tomatoes, or tart vinaigrettes, can make your Chardonnay taste sour. The same can be said for bitter greens. 

It’s also important not to serve your wine too cold, as temperature below 48 degrees will greatly dull the Chardonnay taste and inhibit its pairing potential.

But enough about what NOT to do. Here is how you should pair your bottle of oaked or unoaked Chardonnay wine. 

Food pairings for oaked Chardonnay

If you have a big, oaky bottle of Chardonnay wine, then it’s important to play off the toasty, buttery flavors that ooze from your glass. Here are some of the best pairings for an oaky Chardonnay taste. 

Roasted foods

Oaked Chardonnay has soaked up the flavors of the toasted oak barrels it was housed in, so it pairs particularly well with toasty food flavors like roasted nuts, flaky pastries, and grilled or smoked meats and vegetables. 

A crisp-skinned roasted chicken, seared scallops, grilled lobster, or hazelnut-crusted pork will all be sublime with your glass of oaked Chardonnay. 

You might also wish to incorporate slow roasted tomatoes or caramelized onions into your dish. 

Rich foods

If your glass of wine has that butter Chardonnay flavor, then it’s great to pair with buttery foods as well. Think butternut squash ravioli in sage and browned butter, or fresh lobster with butter and cream. 

You can also try other dishes with rich, creamy sauces, like eggs benedict, steak béarnaise, or a creamy risotto or soup. 

A particularly rich Chardonnay can even hold up nicely against a seared foie gras.

Bold cheeses

If you have a heavily oaked Chardonnay, you might want to pair it with a bolder cheese like Camembert, English hard cheddar, or even blue cheese. A lightly oaked glass is a perfect match for a medium cheddar as well.

Seafood

When it comes to seafood, your oaked Chardonnay will pair well with white flaky fish and shellfish – especially if they have been grilld. A very oaky bottle is wonderful with a pan-seared salmon as well.

Late summer vegetables

When choosing vegetables to pair with your wine, think late summer (and even autumn) vegetables like corn, red pepper, pumpkin, and butternut squash. 

Food pairings for unoaked Chardonnay

If you have a bottle of unoaked Chardonnay, you will want to play off the bright, minerally, and acidic qualities in your wine. Here are some of our favorite pairings for unoaked Chardonnay. 

Lightly herbed foods

Remember, it can be easy to overwhelm delicate Chardonnay grape flavors. As such, a crisp Chardonnay is best paired with simply prepared foods like baked white fish or poultry in butter and herbs. 

Tarragon, basil, dill, mustard, and pesto sauce are all fabulous flavors to play with in your pairings. 

A simple pasta or chicken in mushrooms and herbs will be an absolute success with your unoaked Chardonnay. 

Bright, acidic foods

While too much acid can completely ruin the flavor of your oaked Chardonnay, an unoaked bottle can truly be complemented by a bit of acidity. Try an appetizer with fresh tomato, or poached chicken in a lemon and tarragon sauce. 

Creamy cheeses

You’ll want to keep your cheeses like and refreshing like your wine. Try pairing your unoaked Chardonnay with goat cheese, brie, or fresh mozzarella. A mushroom and brie pizza is a sure pairing with an unoaked Chardonnay taste. 

Seafood

Unoaked Chardonnay is wonderful with raw, steamed, and lightly cooked seafood. It can make a surprisingly good sushi wine, and is also fabulous with crab, prawns, scallops, clams, mussels, and lobster. 

Try a simple lobster with drawn butter, a classic crab roll, or a creamy shrimp dip with your wine. 

A particularly mineral variety of unoaked Chardonnay – such as a Chablis – is also the perfect pairing for oysters. 

Spring vegetables

The flavors in your unoaked wine will sing best with spring vegetables. Think green peas, asparagus, edamame, white beans, and spinach. Try a spring vegetable risotto or soup to bring out the best flavors in your glass. 

Find the perfect Chardonnay taste for your palate

No matter what kind of wine you prefer, there is a Chardonnay for you. If you prefer dry, crisp, mineraly wines, try a cool climate unoaked Chardonnay. 

If you’re looking for a dry, fruity wine with a zing, try a temperate, warm climate, or late harvest unoaked Chardonnay.

Looking for a bold mouthfeel and luscious texture to pair with roasted meats and spices? Then an oaked Chardonnay will be your best friend. 

And, if you want the best of both worlds, there are some truly magnificent bottles of Chardonnay that have been fermented in both stainless steel and neutral oak to produce a rounded mouthfeel while allowing the beautiful fruit flavors to shine through. 

Take our Chardonnay wine at Halleck Vineyard for example. It’s the perfect balance of unoaked and oaked Chardonnay tastes. 

Made in a dry, Chablis style, our Sobre Vista Chardonnay has beautiful notes of apple, pear, and citrus, with qualities of minerality and salinity on the back of the palate. 

You can try it for yourself during your wine tasting in Sonoma County, or order a few bottles to sip from the comfort of your home.

How about what makes oaked wine taste different from unoaked wine? 

Do either of these questions feel like reading a foreign language? 

It will all make sense with this short read. It can be difficult to pick out the nuances between different white wine varieties and to understand the subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) differences between them.

Whether you’re new to the world of wine, or an enthusiast expanding your knowledge, there is always something more to learn. 

We’ll look at the differences between Chardonnay vs Pinot Grigio vs Sauvignon Blanc, breaking down their histories, tasting notes, and some recommended food pairings. We’ll answer some common white wine questions, like, “Is Sauvignon Blanc sweet or dry?”

Sonoma Whites | Sommelier’s Choice

An introduction to 5 popular types of white wines

It’s nice to know the most common varieties of white wine. There are many – oh so many – white wines to choose from. For the sake of brevity, we’ll share five of our favorites. 

Chardonnay

When people think of white wine, most immediately picture Chardonnay. Rightly so, as it is the most popular white wine varietal in the United States. 

Chardonnay represents a span of styles depending on the winemaking methods, including oaked and unoaked. A glass of Chardonnay can be anything from buttery and creamy to minerally and bright. It is often quite dry, with a medium to full body and hints of butter, tropical fruit, and spice. 

The range of flavors from bottle to bottle and vineyard to vineyard suggests why Chardonnay has launched to fame – there’s a glass for everyone and most taste preferences.  

Pinot Grigio

Pinot Grigio is the second most popular white wine variety sold in the United States. It has a great balance of being dry to off-dry and crisply refreshing, with notes of pear and mineral on the nose. 

You’ll find Pinot Grigio pairs really well with lighter fare and seafood, and is equally as wonderful when enjoyed simply as a cocktail.

Sauvignon Blanc

Like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc is a white wine with a variety of styles and flavors. It often offers a bold punch of acidity and can range from tropically fruity to green and herbaceous to earthy and flinty. Indeed, no two bottles of Sauvignon Blanc are alike, making it a fun white wine to explore. 

Sauvignon Blanc is slightly less popular than Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. It didn’t achieve international recognition until the 1980s. Staunch Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio drinkers may be surprised to find they even prefer Sauvignon Blanc after exploring this crisp, zesty wine. 

Sonoma Whites | Sommelier’s Choice

Riesling

Riesling is a white wine from Germany and can lean from very sweet to bone dry. The sweet varieties age quite well – and there are many Riesling dessert wines on the market. 

Rieslings are aromatic white wines with floral notes and hints of mineral, petrol, and earth. They pair beautifully with spicy foods, especially Asian cuisine. 

Gewürztraminer

Gewürztraminer is an incredibly aromatic and vivacious white wine. For all its vibrance and versatility, it’s probable you’ve never heard of or tried it. Quite popular in Europe, white wine Gewürztraminer hasn’t achieved recognition in the United States as much as some of its other white wine relatives.

Gewürztraminer is alluring and exotic. It’s also the perfect drink for many situations, from a light summer brunch to a heavy Thanksgiving feast. As far as tasting notes, think rose petals, lychee, and the aromas of pumpkin pie spice – from nutmeg to cinnamon to clove. It can be bone dry to slightly sweet.

Having reviews these selections of the white wine family, there are three whites that are often compared – and confused – Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc. 

These popular white wines have quite a lot in common, which is why it’s easy to confuse them. All three are made from just the flesh of the grapes, not the skins. They vary in flavor depending on the region from which they originated, as well as individual choices made by the winemakers. 

There are distinctive differences that set Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay apart.

A comparison of Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc

At a glance, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc seem quite similar in the glass. We’ll start by looking back at their origins.

Pinot Grigio vs Sauvignon Blanc: Grapes

Both Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc grapes originated in France, but they do not look alike.

Grigio means “grey” in Italian, and so Pinot Grigio is aptly named because the grapes have a dusty greyish skin. Pinot Grigio grapes are also used to make Pinot Gris, the richer French wine style. 

Sauvignon Blanc grapes are bright green, round, and densely clustered. They ripen early and can be grown in a variety of climates. These grapes are especially reflective of their terroir, or place of origin, and the flavors imparted by each region become quite obvious in the finished wine. 

Pinot Grigio vs Sauvignon Blanc: Region

The grapes of both Pinot Grigio and Sauv Blanc originated in France, but neither found their fame there. 

Instead of opting for a rich style like the French Pinot Gris, Italian winemakers produce a dry, simple style of wine to work well with most meals and be very easy to drink. Pinot Grigio is most widely grown in Italy, particularly in the North Eastern regions of Lombardy, Veneto, and Friuli. 

Sauvignon Blanc found international recognition once it moved to New Zealand. There, the sandy soils and cool climate produce some of the most popular Sauvignon Blanc wines, with particularly fruity, ripe, and pungent flavors. 

While Pinot Grigio is the more popular of the two, Sauv Blanc is grown in more regions around the world. 

Fantastic Sauvignon Blanc vineyards can be found in France, South Africa, California, New Zealand, Australia, and Chile. Whereas Pinot Grigio is mostly grown in Italy, France, Austria, Germany, and California. Our “Little Sister” was judged Best California Sauvignon Blanc by the Orange County Wine Society and Sunset Magazine.

Pinot Grigio vs Sauvignon Blanc: Tasting Notes

Despite having similar hues, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc have different flavor profiles. Pinot Grigio is usually softer, more subtle, and smooth, making it popular with wine drinkers beginning their explorations. Conversely, a bright, zesty glass of Sauvignon Blanc can be bold, yet can have very subtle nuances of flavor. 

Additionally, amongst wines of the same grape varietal, Sauvignon Blanc varies significantly depending on the region from which it originates. One particular glass could have hints of lime, passionfruit, peach, or grapefruit. A Sauvignon Blanc from Loire Valley, France will be flinty and earthy, while a Sauv Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand will be more fruit-forward and bright. 

That being said, all Sauv Blancs share a similar characteristic of acidity and distinctive green notes. These green notes come from chemical compounds called pyrazines, which impart flavors of gooseberry, grass, or bell pepper into the wine. 

Pinot Grigio is a white wine with much lighter citrus notes, and peach or green apple flavors. This is not to say Pinot Grigio is not bright and zesty. In fact, if harvested early, the grapes can give quite a  punch to wine, but when comparing Pinot Grigio to Sauvignon Blanc, the latter almost always shows as brighter with more acidity. 

On the nose, a glass of Pinot Grigio will have delicate aromas of honeysuckle or spice, as opposed to the freshly cut grass and bright citrus scent of a Sauvignon Blanc. Indeed, Sauv Blanc is the most aromatic variety of the two.

When comparing Pinot Grigio to Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio is just a bit softer on both the nose and the palate.

Pinot Grigio vs Sauvignon Blanc: Food Pairings

It’s not surprising that Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc pair well with different dishes. 

The more delicate Pinot Grigio pairs perfectly with fish and seafood, particularly shellfish. As an Italian wine, it’s a natural complement to your favorite pasta dish, cream sauces, and other lighter Italian cuisine. It also has a special affinity with mozzarella. 

While Sauvignon Blanc is also delicious with seafood and shellfish, its bright, acidic flavors are particularly well suited for goat cheese, mild vinaigrettes, white meats, and spiced herbal fare. 

Differences between Chardonnay vs Sauvignon Blanc

Chardonnay is the most consumed white wine in the world, so no white wine comparison would be complete without it. Usually quite dry, with rich, fruity flavors, Chardonnay is a favorite of many. 

But how does it stack up against Sauvignon Blanc? 

Chardonnay vs Sauvignon Blanc: Grapes

Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc grapes look very similar. They both originate from France and are round and green in appearance, generally growing in tight clusters. Sauvignon Blanc grapes will grow in slightly looser clusters than Chardonnay grapes, but this does vary.

Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc hale from different parts of France. Sauvignon Blanc grapes come from Bordeaux, whereas Chardonnay grapes are from Burgundy and are used to make both white wines and sparkling wines, including Champagne, specifically from the Champagne region. 

Chardonnay vs Sauvignon Blanc: Region

Both of these wines are grown all around the world in many of the same regions, including France, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and the United States. 

Sauvignon Blanc is a much more popular choice in Chile, whereas Chardonnay is more common in Italy, Canada, and the United States.  

Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc both do well in a cool climate like West Sonoma County. You can try ours at a Sebastopol wine tasting at our winery estate, which is the top-rated boutique wine tasting Sonoma County experience.

Chardonnay vs Sauvignon Blanc: Tasting Notes

Perhaps the easiest way to differentiate Chardonnay vs Sauvignon Blanc is to taste them. Chardonnay is richer and fuller-bodied, sometimes with a viscous mouthfeel. Sauvignon Blanc can be more light, bright, and herbaceous. 

Both Chardonnay and Sauv Blanc are traditionally quite dry, but some Sauvignon Blancs contain residual sugar, making them sweeter. Sauvignon Blanc can be made into a dessert wine, which is very sweet. 

Sauvignon Blanc offers a broader spectrum of sweetness. 

Both wines are incredibly diverse in flavor, as they are both very expressive of their terroir. In cool regions, Chardonnay will have a medium body, more acidity, and flavors of apple, pear, and green plum. A cool climate Sauv Blanc can have simultaneous hints of green apple and asparagus, or gooseberry and green bell pepper.

In warm regions, Chardonnay develops more notes of banana, mango, melon, and fig, while a Sauvignon Blanc will have sweeter flavors of passionfruit, pineapple, or fresh peach. 

Another contributing factor to the taste of a wine is the barrel in which it was fermented. Those that are fermented in oak barrels – a common practice for Chardonnay winemakers – are referred to as “oaked.” 

Sauv Blanc is usually fermented in stainless steel tanks in order to preserve the crisp zestiness of the wine. However, some winemakers choose to alter the flavor by experimenting with oak barrels to broaden and smooth the flavor profile. 

Wines that are oaked and have often gone through a process known as malolactic fermentation will soften acidity and contribute notes of butter, vanilla, hazelnut, spice, or honey. Therefore, if you enjoy a classic New World Chardonnay, you might prefer a Sauvignon Blanc that has seen some oak, as they will share some similar notes. 

Likewise, if you aren’t a fan of oaked flavors, unoaked Chardonnay is also available. These wines have more minerality and acidity than a common Chardonnay. This is often the style of White French Burgundy, which is made entirely of Chardonnay grapes.

Chardonnay vs Sauvignon Blanc: Food Pairings

Chardonnay, as a full-bodied wine, pairs well with a number of foods. Try it with creamy soups and sauces, rich fish and poultry dishes, and soft cheeses. 

But stay away from the cream when it comes to Sauv Blanc. Instead go heavier with the herbs, or think light and citrusy, like a summer salad or fresh, green vegetables.

Finding the best white wine for you 

This guide gives everyone a little bit to sip on.

Looking for your next white wine to purchase?

Beginner wine drinkers often opt for a Pinot Grigio. But we encourage those that enjoy rich, dry wines to try a Chardonnay. 

The best Sauvignon Blanc for Pinot Grigio lovers might be a fruity, off-dry Sauv Blanc from New Zealand. If you’re usually a Chardonnay drinker, the best Sauvignon Blanc might be a lightly-oaked Sauvignon Blanc from California or France.

And to all of our white wine drinkers (whether adventurous beginners or enthusiasts), it’s time to enjoy a crisp Sauv Blanc, like our very own, award winning, Little Sister Sauvignon Blanc.