May 23 is World Chardonnay Day!
Chardonnay is the most widely planted white wine grape varietal in the world and chances are you will either love it or hate it.
This character-filled wine is celebrated around the world on the fourth Thursday of May. Whether it is oaked or unoaked, buttery or crisp, pop that bottle of your favourite chard in the fridge, chill it to a perfect 10°C, and say saluté to Chard Day!
What is chardonnay?
Chardonnay is a white wine grape variety that originated in the Burgundy region of France, now widely grown around the world. In addition to being an ingredient of still wines, it is what most champagnes are made from.
Common flavours are citrus, apple, pear, pineapple, peach, vanilla, butter and oak. It is also good to know that chardonnay wine can differ in palate weight – they might be heavy or light-bodied, which most certainly will affect their best food pairing.
Some are more acidic and fresher than others, and some are on the sweeter side too. All these will determine the success of your wine pairing.
In celebration of this special day, we take a look at some of the foods that pair well with this amazing grape variety.
Wine and cheese
Let us start with the basics – wine and cheese pairing! Knowing which cheeses pair best with your favourite chardonnay is incredibly powerful information.
It can be the basis for an elaborate, artful cheese board, a simple snack or a jumping-off point for your next culinary creation.
A type of cheese like the brie complements chardonnay very well. This semi-soft cow’s milk cheese has a buttery, spreadable texture and mushroom scent, and does not overwhelm the wine.
Chicken and other poultry
If you are looking for something with a bit more heaviness, chicken makes an excellent pairing with chardonnay.
The rich flavour of the white wine complements the savoury taste of chicken dishes like roasted or grilled chicken and is even better when served alongside creamy sauces such as alfredo or pesto.
The light flavours of the wine complement the chicken, while the acidity can cut through some of the richer sauces often served with poultry.
Seafood
Chardonnay complements seafood perfectly. It is always a win-win. Seafood has highly nutritious properties and is an excellent source of easily digestible proteins.
Knowing such food characteristics will make it easier to find the proper wine for your meal. When it comes to seafood it will pair well with seafood dishes based on shellfish like crab, lobster, shrimp, and mussels.
If you are enjoying a very oaky bottle of chardonnay, then a nice pan-seared salmon would complement the wine nicely as well.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms come in a variety of forms and sizes and may offer a lot of depth and body to any dish, whether it is meat, rice, or pasta.
All of these combinations offer a variety of textures and flavours, giving us a wide range of options for pairing with chardonnay.
Mushrooms that are perfect for chardonnay include shitake and oyster mushrooms.
Roasted vegetables
Roasting vegetables is a great way to bring out their natural sweetness, and this makes them an excellent pairing with chardonnay.
Try roasting a variety of your favourite vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, onions, peppers, mushrooms and squash.
The sweet and savoury notes of the roasted vegetables pair nicely with oaked chardonnay, making for a light but satisfying meal.
On the other hand, unoaked chardonnay preserves the freshness of the vegetables.