Pinot Noir Chardonnay : A Snapshot
Pinot Noir Chardonnay is the term the rest of the world, outside Champagne, use to describe a sparkling wine. In the past the European Union took measures to protect the name of Champagne, the winemaking region in France, the wine community then began referring to Champagne as ‘Pinot Chardonnay’ after the styles of grapes used in its production.
Besides the name, nothing much has changed in the way of taste and texture and the wines themselves are still as exciting and enjoyable as Champagne. Needless to say that most Pinot Chardonnays are produced using the same methods as its French counterparts.
Big name distrbutors Moet and Chandon even list a few hidden Pinot Chardonnay gems in the inventory lists.$$$ Some are produced in a fine estate in the prestigious wine growing area of the Yarra Valley of Australia.
Some particular ‘Sparklers’ of note also originate from New Zealand, especially in the North Island.
There has also been some spectacular successes (and failures) over the years during the experimentation with various grape varities. Semillon Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz, in fact, most of the red variety grapes combine well. There is a good reason that you don’t find a Sauvignon Blanc Chardonnay. However, the combination of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with the sparkling fermentation process has resulted in a great success.
The Pinot Chardonnay series has proven to be very popular for social events like picnics, BBQ’s and wine bars, which is why they are commonly distributed in 200ml and 375ml sizes. Packaging and delivery of sparking varieties is also easy thanks to the advancements of technology in these areas over the years.
Probably the most exciting point of Pinot Chardonnays is because they are called Pinot Chardonnays and not Champagne they are nowhere near the same price…you win.
Set up a blind tasting of your own one day and see if you and your friends can pick the difference.
Follow the link for more information on Chardonnay wine varieties.
Tags: chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot noir chardonnay
This entry was posted on Friday, July 24th, 2009 at 4:41 pm and is filed under food and wine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.