Chardonnays from all over the world…
One of the highlights of summer so far was attending the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (i4c) in Niagara.
Spending a weekend eating and drinking right in the vineyards of the region was the perfect way to love and appreciate summer!
This is what I FaceBooked right afterwards: “What a wonderful wine-soaked weekend in the Niagara region at the Cool Climate Chardonnay event! Can’t thank the organizers, winemakers, wineries, volunteers and all those involved enough for all their effort.
A new Chardonnay monster has been created.”
For those whose only experience of chardonnay is that cloying, overly oaky stuff, chardonnay made in cool climates is a revelation! I think I sampled chardonnays from most countries represented and my mind and palate were opened.
At the dinner for 800 under a massive tent on Saturday night we sat with the winemakers, who proudly poured their wines for us and shared fascinating details about how they were made.
Not only did I become a fan of cool climate chardonnay, but I also discovered how well oysters and champagne go together.
The celebration takes place every year. You can’t beat it as a fabulous summer experience for wine lovers.
Thanks to the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration for featuring this blog post!
Sherrygaley.com 
Oh this all looks so lovely, like pages out of Kinfolk Magazine!! Beautiful work! I’m off to pour myself a glass of Chardonnay.
My heart is palpitating my friend….chardonnay is very dear to my heart.
It IS a great summer event, and if I can plug it just a little more – check out our Facebook page for other photo albums from the weekend. I plan to incorporate some more of Sherry’s images too! https://www.facebook.com/CoolChardonnayCelebration
Oh yes, it was wonderful Cheryl. Wish you lived closer too! The answer to the question of how do you know a cool chardonnay is a bit complicated but it has to do with where and how the Chardonnay grape is grown.
The grape itself is very neutral, with many of the flavors commonly associated with it being derived from such influences as terroir and oak.
It is made into wines that have different styles, from the lean, crisply mineral wines of Chablis, France to New World wines with oak, and tropical fruit flavours.
In cool climates (such as Niagara, Ontario and Burgundy and the mountains of South America), Chardonnay tends to be medium to light body with noticeable acidity and flavors of green plum, apple and pear. In warmer locations (such as the Adelaide Hills, Geelong and Mornington Peninsula in Australia and Gisborne and Marlborough region of New Zealand) the flavors become more citrus, peach and melon, while in very warm locations (such as parts of California) more fig and tropical fruit notes such as banana and mango come out. The latter can be low in acidity and high in alcohol or soft and plump. These are the ones most people know well.
Hope that helps a bit!
You did a wonderful job of capturing what looks like the perfect summer event. Thank you for sharing it with us so beautifully!
What a wonderful time, Sherry!
Thank you for taking us along with you.
Wishing you a beautiful week ahead!
Oh boy does that look wonderful. Lots of fun but elegantly done. Wish I lived closer. You photo’s always tell a story. I am not familiar with cool climate chaddonay but I have found an unpacked charddony that I like very much. How does one know a cool one. At any rate it all sounds just perfectly lovely. So glad you got to enjoy it and then shared it.
The photos tell the story so well, Sherry! What a fun summer weekend to experience something new and delicious.
What wonderful photos to go with your interesting story. It sounds like a delightful week-end. You are now our resident chardonnay expert. 🙂