Complementary recipes:

• Asian Chicken Salad on Endive Spears
• Autumn Hodge-Podge
• Basic Basil Pesto
• BC SPOT PRAWN BISQUE
• Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Ravioli
• More recipes...

  

Serve this wine between 55-60 degrees Farenheit or 12-16 degrees Celsius. Tip: If your bottle is at room temperature, put it in ice water for about 30 minutes or in the fridge for about three hours to chill it.

Chardonnay

This popular and versatile grape thrives in many different climates so the wine is produced in many parts of the world. The wine can be soft and subtle or rich, buttery and full-bodied. In warmer regions, aromas can include ripe pears, melon and pineapple. It adapts well to oak, which adds scents of vanilla, butter, cedar, smoke and spice. However, the wine is sometimes criticized for having too much oak and alcohol. In cooler regions, and especially with unoaked styles, the wine is more lean and acidic and offers notes of green apples, lemon and lime. In Burgundy, chardonnay makes some of the world's finest whites, referred to by their regions, such as Meursault, Chablis and Pouilly-Fuissé. Chardonnay will pair well with rich dishes such as roast chicken, lobster in butter sauce, corn dishes, beef bourguignonne, breads, cheese, chicken and poultry, egg dishes, Asian dishes with black bean sauces, pork, seafood or recipes that have a cream base.

For more details on how I do my wine reviews, what the scores mean and other background, please click here. To find definitions of the wine terms I use, from acidity to zesty, visit my Wine Glossary.