49 Chardonnay The chardonnay survey was sent to 193 vineyards and/or wineries. Seventy-nine returned the survey for a response rate of 40 percent. Bottling Special Vineyard Designation The two most frequently reported bottling special vineyard designations were Napa Valley/Napa Valley 1994 (13.9%) and Estate (7.6%). The other bottling/special vineyards that were reported more than once are listed in the following figure:
50 Varietal Blend Almost all of the wineries (96.2%) reported using a varietal blend of 100 percent chardonnay. Wholesale Price The median or average wholesale price reported by the chardonnay wineries is $12.00. Almost 78 percent of the wineries reporting a price, stated their prices were between $8.00 and $16.00. Replies Average Price: Mean Median Minimum Maximum 63 24.59 12.00 5.00 250.00
The following graph lists the wholesale price reported by two or more of the wineries. 51
52 Vinification Techniques The four most common vinification techniques among the chardonnay wineries were barrel fermented, barrel aged, sur lie aged, and malolactic fermentation. Each of these four techniques were reported by at least two-thirds of the chardonnay wineries. The other vinification techniques reported by more than one winery are depicted in the following figure.
53 Type of Oak Used The overwhelming choice of oak used for aging was French with almost three-fourths of the wineries indicating this type. Moreover, almost another one-quarter reported some blend or combination of French Oak.
54 Percentage of New Oak The median or average amount of new oak used was 31.5 percent. Only 8.9 percent their wines in 100 percent new oak. Average Percentage of New Oak Replies Percentage of New Oak: Mean Median Minimum Maximum 70 39.84 31.50 5.00 100.00
55 Optimum Window of Drinkability The most frequently reported optimum window of drinkability and average length in time was 4 to 5 years. Slightly more than 40 percent of the chardonnay wineries reported a smaller number of years as the optimum level: 1 to 3 years.
56 Palate/Mouth Feel - Weight Most of the wineries (62%) described their chardonnay in terms of its weight as medium-bodied. The next most often mentioned weight by the chardonnay wineries was full-bodied at 32.9 percent.
57 Palate/Mouth Feel - Softness Most of the wineries described their chardonnay's softness as being round. Slightly more than 50 percent described it as round. A distant second through fourth most commonly described softness types were: smooth (31.6%), accessible (24.1%), supple (22.8%).
58 Palate/Mouth Feel - Ripeness Fresh was selected most often by the chardonnay wineries (43%) when describing their wines' ripeness. Lush (30.4%) was the second most reported ripeness type. Viscous and Juicy were reported by slightly more than one-fifth of the wineries.
59 Palate/Mouth Feel - Firmness Over 40 percent of the chardonnay wineries described their chardonnay's firmness as the following: complex (49.4%), clean (45.6%), layered (45.6%), and crisp (41.8%).
60 Aromas - Fruit: Citrus The most frequently reported citrus fruit aroma reported by the chardonnay wineries was lemon. About 58 percent of the respondents reported this type of citrus fruit aroma.
61 Aromas - Fruit: Tree Fruit In terms of the tree fruit type of aromas, three types were reported by more than onethird of the chardonnay wineries: pear (45.6%), apple (43%), and green apple (35.4%).
62 Aromas - Fruit: Tropical Fruit Almost 50 percent of the chardonnay wineries reported that their chardonnays had a tropical fruit aroma.
63 Aromas - Fruit: Cooked Fruit Only three wineries reported that their chardonnays had a cooked fruit aroma.
64 Aromas - Herbaceous Not many of the chardonnay wineries reported that their wines had a herbaceous aroma.
65 Aromas - Caramelized In terms of a caramelized aroma, slightly more than one-third of the wineries reported having a vanilla caramelized aroma.
66 Aromas - Woody The following four woody aromas were reported the most by the chardonnay wineries: toasty oak (40.5%), vanilla (38%), vanillin oak (35.4%), and creamy oak (27.8%).
67 Aromas - Spicy The most frequently reported spicy aroma for the chardonnays was the vanillin spice. This was indicated by 35.4 percent of the respondents.
68 Aromas - Nutty Only 25.3 percent of the chardonnay makers reported that their wines had a hazelnut nutty aroma.
69 Aromas - Earthy Very few chardonnay wineries reported that their wines had an earthy or another type of aroma. Aromas - Other
70 Recommended Food Type The two food choices that the chardonnay winemakers wanted their wines matched with were: poultry and fish/seafood. Slightly more than 88 percent of the wineries reported both food types as their top preference.
71 Cooking Method: Poultry The top three choices for preparing poultry by the chardonnay wineries were: roasted (70.9%), grilled (65.8%), and baked (63.3%). The next two preferred choices were: sautéed (54.4%) and broiled (46.8%).
72 Cooking Method: Fish and Seafood The most recommended method of cooking fish and seafood for the wineries' chardonnay was roasted (70.9%). The next five methods were recommended by almost half of the wineries: baked (58.2%), poached (58.2%), sautééed (55.7%), broiled (54.4%), and steamed (48.1%).
73 Cooking Method: Beef Only 10 percent of the chardonnay wineries recommended beef for their wines. Therefore, there were not many responses about alternative methods of cooking beef for the chardonnay wines.
74 Spices Recommended The three spices that were most preferred by the chardonnay wineries in the preparation of poultry and fish/seafood items were ginger, mustard, and white pepper. These spices were recommended by 30 to 35 percent of the respondents. The next two most frequently recommended spices for poultry and fish/seafood items were nutmeg and fennel seed. (Over 20 percent of the respondents also recommended these spices.) Again, because of the low number of wineries recommending beef as a food choice, there were very few recommendations on the spices preferred for beef dishes. Ginger Mustard Pepper-White Nutmeg Fennel Seed Curry Powder Allspice Celery Seed Paprika Pepper-Black Cumin Seed Cinnamon Anise Caraway Seed Tumeric Cardamon Seed Chili Powder Mace Other No Answer
75 Herbs Recommended The four most preferred herbs in the preparation of poultry and fish/seafood items were basil, tarragon, sage, and parsley. These herbs were recommended by 30 to 39 percent of the chardonnay wineries. The next two highest preferred herbs were rosemary and thyme (preferred by slightly more than 20 percent of the respondents). Once again, because of the low number of wineries recommending beef as a food choice, there were very few selections for herbs to be used with beef items. Basil Tarragon Sage Parsley Rosemary Thyme Oregano Marjoram Bay Leaf Savory Other No Answer
76 Sauces Recommended The number one preferred sauce for both poultry and fish/seafood selections was a butter sauce. Between 53 and 57 percent of the wineries recommended this sauce for their chardonnay wines. The next four sauces were recommended for both poultry and fish/seafood selections by about 30 percent of the wineries for their chardonnay wines: tarragon, bernaise, mayonnaise, and mushroom. The second most preferred sauce for fish/seafood selections was a hollandaise sauce (41.8%), but only 2.5 percent recommended it for poultry dishes. Butter Tarragon Béarnaise Mayonnaise Mushroom Hollandaise Mustard Caper Mornay Curry Remoulade Onion Tomato Vinaigrette Pepper Madeira Demi Glace Other No Answer
77 Spices, Herbs and Sauces for Other Food Types The seven most preferred spices, herbs, and sauces for food items other than poultry, fish/seafood, and beef for chardonnay wines are displayed in the next three figures.
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