Toast the event with a Taste of Californian Sunshine

This 25th May marks International Chardonnay Day, where wine lovers around the world celebrate this incredible white grape. Capable of producing a range of styles across a large variety of climates and terroir, few world wine regions can boast such an eclectic range of Chardonnays as the Golden State.

California’s award-winning Chardonnay vineyards produce fresh and crisp wines as well as full-bodied styles. Stretching across the region, from the northern climbs of Mendocino to the southern vines near Los Angeles, and from the cool coastal breezes to the sun-drenched inland central valley, California really does have a Chardonnay to suit all tastes.

Here are just a few suggestions available right now across the UK:

Dark Horse Chardonnay

RRP £8.50, available from retailers nationwide

This is a rich Chardonnay, with notes of apple and ripe stone fruit layered with toasted oak. This is a perfect accompaniment for most white meat and fish dishes including grilled squid, pan fried pollock, roast chicken, or smoked salmon and scrambled eggs.

Clos du Bois Chardonnay

RRP £12.00, available from Ocado

Clos du Bois Chardonnay boasts intense aromas of apple blossom, ripe pear and citrus, complemented by hints of butter and toasty oak. Enjoy a glass chilled by itself or with chicken casseroles, grilled fish, creamy pasta dishes, or simply lightly tossed fresh spring vegetables.

Estancia Chardonnay

RRP £14.00, available from Tesco

Estancia Chardonnay offers luscious aromas of pineapple and peach, blended with notes of almond and spice, leading to a creamy finish. Serve alongside classic dishes like melon and prosciutto, seared scallops, or butternut squash soup.

Franciscan Chardonnay

RRP £14.00, available from Ocado

Bright, ripe and approachable with hints of freshly sliced pineapple and lemon flower on the nose leading to a refreshing palate of juicy pears and apples. This wine is has a wonderful creamy texture that gives the wine a plushness that carries through to a refreshing finish. This Chardonnay is delicious with cracked crab squeezed with lemon or sweet and sour pineapple chicken.

About the producers:

Dark Horse

Working side-by-side with 400 of California’s finest grape growers to earn the first pick of their harvest, Dark Horse brings you exceptionally crafted and well-balanced wine that overdelivers on your expectations.

Clos du Bois

Clos du Bois Classics wines are spectacular favourites that reflect the winery’s accessible and refined winemaking style. Working with a family of trusted growers from some of the best vineyards across California, each vintage is crafted to achieve balance, intensity, and true varietal character. Lush fruit flavours and a juicy, supple palate are the hallmarks of the Clos du Bois style.

Estancia

With more than 30 years of experience, Estancia relies on the benefits of boutique-style winemaking techniques, including whole-cluster fermentation, gentle punch downs, and barrel fermentation, to deliver reliably consistent flavours across their portfolio.

Franciscan

Franciscan was founded in 1972 to pay tribute to the Friars that brought old world viticulture to California. The winery cemented its credentials in 1975 when purchased by the proprietors of renowned Cabernet Sauvignon house, Silver Oak, who instilled the ethos they still embody today: generosity of spirit, sustained innovation and over delivery on quality. Most Franciscan fruit comes from the southern half of the Napa and Monterey Counties, both of which lend a brightness and freshness to the fruit. The clay and gravel soil in these counties brings about grapes with unrivalled structure and minerality