Wine Notes

Chardonnay is America’s most popular white wine. It’s also the most maligned. Many wine drinkers, even those with more educated palates, have come to shun the wine as inelegant and just plain bad.
Chardonnay is a victim of its own success. It’s one of the more easily grown wine grapes, easy to drink and very versatile. And once the varietal became popular in California, demand grew exponentially. As such things go, when there is demand, someone will provide the supply. The chardonnay market became saturated with cheap, inferior product.
However, true oenophiles know there are many wonderful chardonnays to be found, and a good chardonnay can be transcendent.
We asked Tulsa wine educator Gary Vance to recommend a chardonnay that might redeem the wine for those who’ve been turned off.
The recommendation: Vance says Martin Ray Russian River Valley Chardonnay changed his mind about chardonnay. Coming in under $16, the well-balanced, oak-aged wine is also a real bargain.
If you like this, try:
The fruit forward Kim Crawford Marlboro Unoaked Chardonnay ($15) is hard to beat.
If you can find it, Auntsfield Estate Unoaked Chardonnay ($25) is a winner.
For a special occasion, consider Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay ($55).