Let California chardonnay warm your soul as autumn arrives

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The transition from summer’s warmth to autumn’s crisp temperatures can spark a change in our palates as well.

The lean, crisp white wines that pair so well with the heat can seem a bit stark in the fall. A white wine with a little more warmth might better fit the bill. Enter California chardonnay.

The riper fruit flavours that come with the sunny state’s climate create a more full-bodied bottle. The wines often show more oak influence than those from chardonnay’s birthplace – Burgundy. Ripe fruit, barrel fermentation, lees stirring and oak aging can be a delicious combination.

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Some of my favourite California chardonnay producers include Mount Eden Vineyards, Ridge Vineyards, Ramey Wine Cellars and Rombauer Vineyards. But the prices for their top wines can be prohibitive. Luckily there are very good options out there for around $30. Here are a few.

Wente Vineyards

2022

Riva Ranch Vineyard Chardonnay

Arroyo Seco, Monterey, California

It’s hard to talk about California chardonnay without mentioning Wente Vineyards, which has worked with the grape since 1908. In fact, a clone developed by the Wentes is grown by other wineries throughout the state.

The Riva Ranch vineyard south of San Francisco has been managed by Wente Vineyards since the 1960s. About 90 per cent of the juice was barrel fermented in new and second-use French and American oak. It was also aged on the lees — dead yeast cells — for six months, creating a lovely creamy texture.

Look for flavours of lemon, nectarine, mandarin orange, vanilla, cream and buttered popcorn. Consisting of 97 per cent chardonnay and three per cent gewurztraminer, it boasts just a kiss of spice.

Price: About $26. Look for it at BSW Liquor, Costco Liquor, Crowfoot Wine and Spirits – Altadore, Willow Park Wines & Spirits, Wine and Beyond and Zyn the Wine Market.

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Drink: Now. Try it with Mexican street corn, panko-crusted white-fleshed fish or quiche. Cork; 13.5 per cent alc./vol.

Rodney Strong

2019

Chardonnay

Chalk Hill, Sonoma County, California

Former professional dancer Rodney Strong traded the stage for the vineyard in 1959 after becoming enamoured with wine while performing in Paris.

One of the first vineyards he planted, in 1965, was at Chalk Hill, an inhospitable place for most vegetation, but a terrific spot for chardonnay vines, said Rodney Strong senior vice-president of winemaking Justin Seidenfeld during a recent stop in Calgary.
The white, chalky-looking soil reminded Strong of Burgundy, so he became the first to plant chardonnay in the area east of the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County.

This 2019 wine spent 14 months in French oak barrels, with 32 per cent being new. After fermentation and a period of monthly lees stirring, they let the wine rest for four months to harmonize. Look for flavours of baked lemon, tangerine, mandarin orange, vanilla, pineapple, brown sugar and cream in this dry wine with lively acidity and a pleasing finish.

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Price: About $30. Stores that have carried it include select locations at Highlander Wine and Spirits, Real Canadian Liquor Store and Wine and Beyond, plus King’s Liquor Store, Willow Park Wines & Spirits and Zyn the Wine Market.

Drink: Now. Roast chicken, shrimp scampi or peach cobbler would be tasty pairings. Screw cap; 14.5 per cent alc./vol.

St. Francis Winery and Vineyards

2022

Chardonnay

Sonoma County, California

The St. Francis winery was started in 1979 by Joe Martin, who had been selling grapes to nearby Sonoma County wineries since purchasing a 100-acre orchard in 1971.

Martin, who passed away in 2015, named the winery after Saint Francis of Assisi, the saint noted for his care for animals and ecology. In 2004, Martin sold the winery to the Kopf family, owners of Kobrand Wine and Spirits, which had been distributing the St. Francis wines.

The winery became Certified California Sustainable in 2013 and considers the environment, equity and economics when making all key decisions. Winemaker Katie Madigan has produced a terrific chardonnay here. It finds the perfect balance between fruit, oak and acidity. It’s lively on the palate, with flavours of brioche, baked lemon, white peach, flint and nectarine.

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Price: Around $30. Check for it at BSW Liquor, Craft Cellars, Highlander Wine and Spirits, Market Wines, New Discovery Fine Wines and Spirits, Olympia Liquor, Willow Park Wines & Spirits, Wine and Beyond and Zyn the Wine Market.

Drink: In the next two or three years. Consider pairing it with crab, chicken tagine or lobster bisque. Cork; 14.1 per cent alc./vol.

Presqu’ile

2022

Chardonnay

Santa Barbara County, California

Located high in the hills with expansive views of the Santa Maria Valley and the Pacific Ocean beyond, Presqu’ile is a family-owned winery with a focus on producing wines focused on freshness.

Owners Matt and Anna Murphy started the winery northwest of Los Angeles in 2007 and named it after the family’s ancestral property located on a peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico. A French-Creole term meaning ‘almost an island,’ the idyllic spot was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

The winery produces cool-climate style wines, with a focus on pinot noir and chardonnays from its own vineyards and other prime spots in the state.

The 2022 Santa Barbara County chardonnay delivers citrus and stone fruit flavours, with notes of pineapple and buttered popcorn. The crisp acidity elevates the wine, which was aged for six months in either neutral French oak (60 per cent) or stainless steel.

Price: Around $36. Look for it at Bin 905, BSW Liquor, Crowfoot Wine and Spirits Signature store, Vine Arts, Vine Styles and Wine and Beyond.

Drink: In the next three years. Oysters, roast chicken or creamy lemon pasta would pair well. Cork; 12.8 per cent alc./vol.

Contact Darren Oleksyn at dm.oleksyn@gmail.com or follow him on Instagram or X. Looking for a specific wine? Because wine inventories are always in flux, it’s a good idea to call a store to confirm they have it. A search on Liquorconnect.com can give you an idea of stores that have carried the wines.

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