Why Chardonnay IS the Greatest White Grape on the Planet

By Peter A. Rod, from “Wine, Spirits, Food Blog”

I realize this is both a controversial and bold statement and likely one that is impossible to prove, just like it’s impossible for sommeliers to prove wines contain aromas and flavours of minerality. Like them, I just know it. I'll do my best to defend my position, but I encourage others to chime in and challenge my assertions. 

Let me start by saying I am quite biased in my view. My mother's family was from Burgundy. They lived in a little village near Chablis called Noyers that I have visited on a few occasions. It is charming, quiet, and historic like so many tucked away in every corner of France. My great uncle Rico was a ‘Noyerer’ until he passed away at 102 years of age. Each day he walked the entirety of the village, ate his lunch at the local restaurant with other townsfolk, and drank a glass of Chablis. He had two wives and never wore glasses. I attribute his long life to the former three activities. The first great wine I had in my life was a Chardonnay. It was a 1986 François Ravenneau 1er Cru Chablis Montée de Tonnerre and I drank it with my wife in 1992. It was absolutely, heart-stoppingly good and it changed my world. I had just completed my certified sommelier training in Toronto and moved out west to Vancouver to explore opportunities. If there was even the tiniest shred of a doubt that I would devote my life to wine, it was instantly dispelled. Great wines can do that.

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