Sailing season is here! And it’s Chardonnay Day! Put the two together, sprinkle on some dill, and you get a delightful meal out on the water.
Once upon a time, many years ago when I first started taking wine courses, I stumbled upon a serendipitous pairing. We were about to go sailing, had packed some trout in foil to throw on our mini boat bbq, and picked up a couple of sides from Farm Boy, including a Greek dill salad. I also brought along a Toasted Head Chardonnay that I had picked up on sale a few weeks before.
Food pairing experiment
Basically, if something is going to go on the barbecue, I am generally looking for something oaky to go with the smokey flavours from the grill. So if we’re having steak, I’ll go with a red that is heavy on the oak. Since we were having fish, I decided to apply this same logic to a white, therefore: an oaky, more heavy-bodied white from California.
Results
Oaked chardonnay + trout
The trout off the grill (in foil with olive oil, butter, salt and pepper) was simple yet delicious, and the chardonnay went pretty well with it, though in hindsight the wine was maybe too much for the subtle flavours of the trout. The light S&P seasoning allowed the flavour of the fish to shine, and next time I may go with a lighter-bodied wine for a more delicate balance.
Conclusion: While trout has lots of flavour, it’s not quite enough to stand up to a full-bodied oaked wine like this. Try with a lighter chardonnay (see below) or add a stronger seasoning to the trout.
Oaked chardonnay and Greek dill salad
WOW. Fresh dill is quite a powerhouse of flavour in the herb world, and boy was the Toasted Head a great match for it, since powerful flavours in food need powerful wines to stand up to them. When a wine is barrel-aged, the oak lends a specific flavour profile to a wine. This can include vanilla, butterscotch, caramel, toast, smoke and butter. Some even argue that dill is an oak flavour component, and after tasting the dill–oaky chardonnay combo, I would tend to agree. It was a match made in heaven.
Conclusion: Oaky chardonnay and dishes with dill are a winning match!
Oaked whites: love ’em or hate ’em
Oak in a white wine is an acquired taste. Generally, you either love it or hate it. Many moons ago, when I first started my wine classes, I was definitely not a fan. But the more I tasted it, the more I grew to love it.
As it turns out, the Toasted Head Chardonnay no longer seems to be available in Ontario, but you can try the J. Lohr in its place if you want to try to re-create the dill+oaked chard experiment.
Alternatives
If you’re not a fan of the oaked version, try an unoaked chardonnay. For example:
Louis Jadot Mâcon Villages Chardonnay
Hailing from the birthplace of chardonnay, Bourgogne, this particular appellation, Mâcon Villages, offers crazy-good value compared to other Burgundian chardonnays, which are among the most expensive chardonnays in the world. This Mâcon Villages is stainless steel fermented and is not exposed to any oak. It’s medium-full bodied and boasts lots of delightfully crisp acidity, with flavours of lemon zest, steely minerality, a hint of butter, yellow apple and pear. YUM!
But what if you want something with a bit of oak, without going overboard?
Malivoire Estate-Grown Chardonnay
If you’re looking for a more balanced chardonnay (with a bit of oak), try the Malivoire Estate-Grown Chardonnay (normally $19.95 but currently $2 off) from Niagara.
55% of this wine was fermented in neutral French oak, while the rest went into stainless steel. The two parts were blended nine months later to make a perfectly balanced chardonnay. Like the Mâcon Villages, it’s medium bodied, with great acidity. However, here, the oak comes through in its slightly smoky character, buttery texture, and a hint of nuttiness. This chardonnay is perfect for baked lemon chicken thighs. On its own, the wine tastes like crisp green apple, peach, and lime, but food brings out more of the oaky flavours, like caramel and butterscotch.
What are your feelings on chardonnay? Are you a lover or a hater of the most planted white grape variety in the world? Given that today, May 27 (or May 21, depending on which wine calendar you subscribe to), is Chardonnay Day, I challenge you to try a chardonnay in the next little while. Tell me your favourite chardonnay in the Comments below!
