An Ode to Chardonnay

We’re getting close to what would have been I4C 2020 – the tenth installment of my Christmas in July. While I’m sad to be missing it this year. I thought I would take this opportunity to write my own ode to Chardonnay. I think for many people when you open certain bottles of wine that have a profound impact on you; It’s the moment that takes you from a wine drinker to a wine lover. The best part about being a wine writer is having an opportunity to taste a variety of wines. It’s impossible to predict which bottles are going to have that moment no matter how good the producer, or how great the vintage. 

The first i4C I attended was in 2013 – Friday night was 8 chefs, 8 grills – and it was hosted at Trius. Going into this event I knew that I liked Chardonnay – but I didn’t know I was going to fall deeply in love that night. I had been writing about wine for three years at that point. I was doing weekly segments on Newstalk 1010 – I featured exclusively Ontario wines at the time. Occasionally, I would get an email or text message from a listener complaining about the quality of Ontario wine. I still to this day maintain that anyone who questions the quality of Ontario wines on the world stage needs to attend I4C. That being said – the Chardonnay that stole my heart was not from Ontario but from BC. Shauna White, who is now working at Adamo Estates, was pouring a 2011 Road 13 Jackpot Chardonnay. I can still vividly remember what that wine tasted like. How can a wine somehow manage to be massive and deliver what seemed like an endless torrent of peach, pineapple, golden delicious apple, baking spice, vanilla – and somehow remain elegant and refined? That was it – in that moment I was on a mission to find more wines that tasted like this. 

I know it’s popular among the snobbier side of the wine world to shit on Bottle Shock. I don’t care, I’m still a big fan of this movie. While it’s pure fiction – when you’re new to the world of wine – it’s impossible to not fall in love with the idea of the Napa Valley in the 1970s. As someone who was so focused on Niagara it was hard to not see the story of Bo Barrett and imagine that someone in Niagara would have their own Judgement of Paris moment (come to think of it who would play Thomas Bachelder, Ann Sperling, or Harald Thiel in a Canadian version of bottle shock). My next moment with Chardonnay had me drive from my home in Toronto, down Route 66, and to California. Chateau Montelena is also an incredible place to visit. Their Chardonnay is incredible – but it wasn’t where I had my moment in the Golden State. When I visited Ridge Vineyards – Lytton Springs I got to taste through a torrent of wines. Fantastic Zinfandel based field blends, and naturally the Cabernet Sauvignon is a revelation. But, it was the Chardonnay – made from the Santa Cruz mountains – with perfect balance, and intense concentrated flavours… But, it was the texture of this wine that sticks out in my mind. When I put that wine in my mouth it’s as if it applied for a building permit, poured a foundation, and built a detached three bedroom home – It had moved in for good. Yet in spite of its California-ness there was plenty of acidity on board. 

So where did it start in Ontario for me? When I talk to people about Ontario wines it’s the double edged sword about what defines us. Oregon has been making wine for only a few years more than Ontario and the state is synonymous with Pinot Noir. New Zealand is Sauvignon Blanc. Ontario – well that’s Riesling, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Gamay, Baco Noir, Syrah… I could go on. LIke most new world regions we try anything. So when I started to write about wines – it was hard to figure out what defines Ontario. If I go back to my first I4C – while I didn’t have my “moment” with any particular Niagara Chardonnay – I found some wines that I really liked: Bachelder, Tawse, Le Clos Jordanne, Hidden Bench, Lailey, Featherstone… and the pool kept getting deeper. When I take a look at my ever growing wine collection there’s a lot of Ontario Chardonnay on those shelves.

At some point in the narrative – I started working with Michael Pinkus. I had heard the term ABC (Anything But Chardonnay), but I never really understood it. I have tasted wines in the style that created this movement…but they were few and far between. Apparently these were the low acid, high oak wines you’re supposed to find in California and Australia – for the record, I did not find this style in California – apparently they got the memo before I arrived that balance is key. Michael still has the taste of these wines in his mouth to this day – and as I started climbing down my Chardonnay rabbit hole he has been key in making sure I don’t lose my mind, or my objectivity. On our podcast – Two Guys Talking Wine – he will often accuse me of loving a bottle of wine because “if it says Chardonnay on the label label label – it goes on my table table table”. The reality is Michael and I will talk frequently about what we’re both drinking/tasting and he does keep me grounded. The thing is – having that annoying ABC Jiminy Cricket on your shoulder is a good thing. 

It feels like 2015(ish) was a turning point in the marketplace for Chardonnay in Ontario. New wineries entered the market and hit the ground running. Places like 2027 Cellars, Westcott, Back 10 Cellars, 16 Mile, and Meldville (made by former Lailey winemaker Derek Barnett). The quality of these wines were unparalleled – and Ontario has become a place where twenty dollars can go far into getting you some top tier wines. The spotlight was shining brightly on Prince Edward County – Lighthall, Rosehall Run, Exultet, Closson Chase, Hinterland, and Huff Estates. It’s been hard to keep up with all the great choices available. Chardonnay in Ontario is a grape where you can abandon the concept of “good” vintage vs. “bad” vintage – you have hot vintage and cool vintage. Chardonnay responds discernibly to the weather – and with talented winemakers you can make great wine with this grape every year. I can’t pinpoint my one moment with Ontario Chardonnay because there are so many of them. I look forward to my regular visits to Flat Rock to taste the latest vintage of Rusty Shed – because I know it’s going to be excellent. During the pandemic I have sat down with Grant and Carolyn from Westcott, Kevin Panagapka from 2027 Cellars, and Thomas Bachelder from his eponymous winery. I really want to write about my favourite Ontario Chardonnays and pinpoint the moment, like with those Road 13 and Ridge wines – but I can’t.

2015 is a turning point in my wine writing career – it’s the year (after many beverages) I decided to enter the wine industry as a producer. Vadim Chelekhov, my friend, and talented winemaker at Kacaba, and I thought it was a good idea to make Gamay Nouveau. I wanted to get a better understanding of how the system works in Ontario. The VQA, GGO, dealing with the stress of harvest, fermentation, and most notably selling the wine – I wanted to learn what it takes to get a wine to market. In 2017 I took another crack at going from grape to bottle. I had decided it was time to move from Gamay Nouveau to Pinot Noir Rosé and Chardonnay. The original plan was to make two barrels of Chardonnay, to get a feel of working with it. Those two barrels ended up being seven! It was fun working with Vadim to see what we were going to end up with. It was also exciting and terrifying – sourcing good fruit is already stressful enough but once you put the wine in barrels, you need to have faith in the skills of the winemaker (Thank you Vadim!). You sit by and hope that you end up with a wine that tastes like what you love. Because hell – if no one buys this wine – someone has to drink it; and that someone would have been me.  

When we brought our wine to market in 2018 – I learned quickly how competitive the market is for Chardonnay at restaurants in Toronto. But spending time in restaurants I saw quickly that out of all the grapes in the province sommeliers and chefs have recognized that Chardonnay from Niagara is something special (and clearly something customers want to drink). The style that really seems to resonate involves use of some oak – but really let’s the fruit tell the story. We’re seeing more wild ferments, more Canadian oak barrels, and more single vineyards. Through all the trends I do hope authentic Chardonnay remains and does not get lost in winemaking trips and funky hipster trends.

Here’s what I can say about Niagara Chardonnay – and what I believe the future holds for us. I had the opportunity to visit Burgundy for the first time in early 2019. I tasted the Chardonnay made by Clothilde Bergeret – it was outstanding. I can vividly remember what the wine tasted like – but more importantly, I can remember how much it reminded me of what we’re doing in Niagara. Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru “Morgeot” for 26 Euros a bottle. The moment that first sip touched my tongue I felt like I was tasting the future of Niagara. This is the same style that I find in the restaurants of Toronto – and in my own wine collection. The future from Niagara looks good – and it looks like Burgundy. But it’s not just the quality of wines – it’s the attitude that exists in the region. Visiting the farmers market in Beaune on a Saturday morning had me feeling like being in Niagara buying fruit during a summer visit. 

I hope you enjoyed my love letter to Chardonnay. I needed to share this journey with you because I’m not going to see many of you reading this at my Christmas in July – (www.coolchardonnay.org). I plan on spending the next week crushing as many bottles of Chardonnay as I can get my hands on. Let the Journey continue… and see you in 2021.