As you compile your shopping lists for the upcoming holiday season, no doubt you will be in need of some wine. Whether to gift or serve, wine sales skyrocket around the holidays. White wines, Chardonnays in particular, are a favorite to serve alongside dinner, perhaps because of their drink-ability or perhaps because they are less likely to stain your favorite holiday table cloth.
With the increased use of stainless steel wine fermentation barrels, Chardonnay flavors are as diverse and crisp as ever. Despite previously facing ridicule, Chardonnay is America’s top-selling wine and a good unoaked Chardonnay is a welcome addition to any holiday spread.
Consider the following unoaked chardonnays for your holiday hosting and dazzle your guests without breaking the bank:
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Four Vines Santa Barbara County Naked Chardonnay (about $13/bottle) — made in 100 percent stainless steel, slightly sweet, very orange-juicy with notes of papaya and melon
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The Wishing Tree Western Australia Unoaked Chardonnay (about $13/bottle) — full, tart and delicious apple flavors
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Alpha Domus Hawke’s Bay Unoaked Chardonnay (about $14/bottle) — a lively blend of pineapples and pears, rich but still dry
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Louis Michel & Fils Chablis (about $28/bottle) — light citrus and minerally, chalky flavors with a mellow apple finish
- Mer Soleil “Silver” Santa Lucia Highlands Unoaked Chardonnay (about $35/bottle) — lush tropical-fruit flavors, creamy with bright acidity and touches of tonic-water bitters.
Find a bottle from about ten years ago and your tastebuds will thank you.
Estimated prices may be out of date, flavor profiles based on 2006 & 2007 bottles