vineyard sites and winemaking styles, and
we should celebrate and explore that range
of options,” notes Bundschu.
Joy Sterling of Iron Horse Vineyards in
Sonoma’s Green Valley (which produces
as many as seven separate Chardonnays in
a vintage) shares her formula for selling:
“
The single most important way to pro-
mote Chardonnay is with a knowledge-
able and enthusiastic staff—on-premise,
off-premise or at the winery. The beauty
of Chardonnay is that it is a conversation.
Do you like dry? Do you like oaky? As you
know, once you are in conversation, you
are in a selling situation.”
Artists and Appellations
Sketching a vivid way to describe the
principal styles of French Chardonnay to
the trade as well as to consumers, Martin
Sinkoff, director of marketing for the fine
wine division of Frederick S. Wildman
&
Sons, Ltd., thinks Burgundy’s appella-
tions can best be grasped using parallels
to famous artists.
Says Sinkoff, whose firm imports
a wide selection of Burgundian wines
from Christian Moreau Père & Fils,
Domaine Faively and Olivier Leflaive,
among others: “Imagine Chablis like a
Giacometti sculpture. It’s edgy, a bit aus-
tere, and steely like the artist’s stick-like
works in metal; this comparison conveys
the character of Chablis’s un-oaked, es-
sentially minerally character. Or con-
sider a great Côte de Beaune as if it’s a
portrait by Raphael, the famed Renais-
sance painter. His art is of unimpeach-
C
hardonnay
What’s your
‘
go to’
C
hard?
We asked some experienced
retailers to share what they
recommend with success
when customers ask simply,
“
What’s a good Chardonnay
under $15?” Here are their
“
go to” bottles:
Benziger, Carneros;
$12.99
One of the last remaining
family-run wineries in California.
This Chardonnay is developed,
concentrated and complex with
layers of pineapple, stone fruit,
and sweet citrus.
—
Corinne Bermon
Bauer Wine & Spirits
Boston, MA
Bogle, California;
$10.99
Bogle products show a great
level of consistency and their
Chardonnay has a nice balance
of fruit and oak. Green apple and
pear with a touch of acidity and a
cool richness fills your mouth.
—
Jason Lee
NJWineSeller
Cranford, NJ
Bricco dei Guazzi,
Piemonte; $14.99
When customers ask where KJ
is, I walk over to the shelf and
show them the KJ but point to
this and say, “I know you like
KJ, but did you ever try this
Chardonnay from Northern Italy?
It’s awesome! Very bright and
elegant, and everyone who buys
this wine comes back for more.”
Most of the time they like the
idea of something different and
grab a bottle.
—
Art Laurenti
Laurenti’s Shop Rite Wine & Spirits
Hamilton, NJ
Chateau Ste.
Michelle, Columbia
Valley; $12.99
I work with the managers in ten
stores, and I enjoy the chance to
engage customers walking the
wine aisles. In my experience, I
know that a recommendation of
Chateau Ste. Michelle will always
be well recieved. It has a nice
richness from the sur lie barrel
aging but yet the bright fruit
stands out. Balance is the key
with this wine.
—
Donny Sanders
Spirits Unlimited (Corporate)
Toms River, NJ
Daniel Pollier
Macon-Villages;
$13.99
A versatile, food-friendly French
Chardonnay that combines a
streak of minerality with balanced
acidity and purity of flavor.
—
Ben Crumlich
Fairgrounds Wine & Spirits,
Danbury, CT
Glen Carlou,
South Africa;
$14
This is one of our favorite values
under $15. It resembles Califor-
nia’s Sonoma Coast style but
without the price. Stylistically it’s
rich and creamy with a smooth
lingering finish. A very exciting
demonstration of all South Africa
has to offer.
—
Jamie Ruth
Decanted Wines
Naples, FL
Jacques Charlet
“
La Crochette”
Macon-Villages;
$13.99
The un-oaked style of Chardon-
nay is still relatively new to our
customers. It gives us an op-
portunity to break the stereotype
of extra buttery and heavy wines.
This is a great example of an un-
oaked Chardonnay from southern
Burgundy. Crisp and vibrant, this
wine shines with ripe pear and
mild citrus notes, moderate acid-
ity and lingering finish. It’s the
go-to wine for seafood, light ap-
petizers and chicken dishes. On
the other hand, one of our best
sellers in the “oaky” style is Folie
à Deux from the Russian River
Valley. This $15.99 Chardonnay
is full-bodied and lush; a well-
crafted and balanced wine.
—
Howard Solomon
Bootleggers Liquor Outlet
Northfield, NJ
Joseph Drouhin
Saint-Véran;
$14.99
Pure Chardonnay from the
Burgundy region of France. This
Joseph Drouhin is a great ex-
ample of an un-oaked Chardon-
nay from a place that gives it a
clean and crisp signature. Its full
of ripe pear fruit and has great
acidity that makes it go great
with a wide range of food, like
fish, chicken or tapas. An incred-
ible value!
—
John Sano
Wollaston Wine & Spirits
Quincy, MA
