creamy chicken Archives - It Must Be Wine O'clock

If you like smoky, oaked Chardonnay, then this is for you …

Bread & Butter Chardonnay, 2019, California

Chardonnay may not be everyone’s cup of tea, or rather choice of tipple. Some wine drinkers swear by it and won’t drink anything else; others will drink ‘Anything But Chardonnay’. Nevertheless, Chardonnay is one of the most widely-planted and versatile grapes in the world and comes in a range of styles, depending on its provenance and the winemaker’s approach to wine production. Although wine drinkers may prefer one style or another, or indeed not care for it at all, one of the pleasures of exploring the world of wine is discovering what Chardonnay has to offer.

Cooler climate Chardonnays from regions such as Northern Burgundy, Oregon and Tasmania tend to have more acidity, and more citrussy, minerally flavours. They are generally leaner, with lower levels of alcohol. Warmer climate Chardonnays from more southern areas of Burgundy, and most of California and Australia, tend to be fuller-bodied with higher levels of alcohol and less acidity. These wines have riper, stone-fruit and tropical fruit flavours such as peach, pineapple and banana.

In addition to the primary flavours related to climate, the winemaker’s judicious use of malolactic conversion (MLF) and oak barrel fermentation can introduce dairy flavours of butter and cream, and oak flavours of smoke, vanilla and coconut.

This particular Chardonnay is a rich, bold wine from California. It is a blend of grapes grown in Monterrey and the cooler Los Carneros, and has notes of apple, vanilla, butter and peach, and flavours of butter, honey, toast and tropical fruit. Soft and creamy with a long, smooth finish, it is a well-balanced wine. If you like smoky, oaked Chardonnay with plenty of body, this is a fine example and well worth trying.

It is a wine that will go well with a creamy chicken dish, a rich pasta dish or soft cheese.

Available from Majestic (£15.99, Mix Six £13.99)

Banish those January blues with a touch of Sicilian sunshine …

Planeta L’Amistanza 2020

After all the buzz and busyness of the festive season, mid-January can sometimes feel a little dispiriting. This refreshing, aromatic wine from Sicily can go a long way to help lift your spirits.

The Planeta L’Amistanza 2020 is made from a blend of Fiano and Grecanico grapes. Although neither is indigenous to Sicily – Fiano comes from the Campania region and Grecanico hails from the Veneto region in north-east Italy, where it is known as Garganega – both grow happily in Sicily and complement each other very well. Fiano brings body and texture to a wine while Grecanico contributes citrus freshness and acidity.

With aromas of honeysuckle, apple, pear and stone fruit, and flavours of peach, apple and lime, this is a well-balanced wine with medium acidity and a pleasantly long finish.

A crisp wine which works well as an aperitif and is also a very good match for seafood, pasta or a light, creamy chicken dish.

Available from Tesco (£10)

For something a little different, why not try an Australian Viognier?

Yalumba Y Series, Viognier, 2020 (Australia)

We generally associate the Viognier grape with Condrieu in the Northern Rhône region of France. It’s one of those connections that go together like a horse and carriage, much like Malbec and Cahors, or Chenin Blanc and Vouvray. But of course, the grapes are not unique to those places so perhaps it should come as no surprise to find a Viognier from Australia.

A typical Condrieu Viognier is an aromatic wine with wafts of honeysuckle that transport you to Provence, followed by stone fruit flavours of apricot and peach. Heady and rich, the wines might not be to everyone’s taste.

But this South Australian Yalumba Y is a lighter, fresher variant of Viognier which retains the stone fruit flavours but also has more citrussy flavours, too. It is also lighter on the aromatics and has more vibrant acidity.

This is a dry, medium-bodied wine with medium acidity and a lengthy finish. It has orange blossom on the nose, and apple and grapefruit as well as peach and nectarine on the palate. We had it with salmon but it will also go well with a creamy chicken dish or a tagine.

Available from Majestic, Sainsbury’s, Co-op.