Popular Chardonnay

Wineries to visit: Coyote’s Run Estate Winery, Stonechurch Vineyards, Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery, Hillebrand Winery, Lailey Vineyard, Niagara College Teaching Winery

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Stop by our wineries and you’ll taste the reasons for Chardonnay’s immense popularity. This itinerary will take you on a tour of oaked and non–oaked styles. Oak ageing in barrels imparts characteristics that give Chardonnay a fuller body and flavours that may be vanilla, spicy or smoky. Much depends on the type of oak (i.e. French, Hungarian, Canadian), the degree of toasting inside the barrel, and the length of time the wine ages in the barrel. These are white wines that can take the place of a red at the dinner table. Non-oaked Chardonnays aged in stainless-steel tanks will be lighter and fruitier wines.  Which to choose - it all comes down to taste.

Non-oaked Chardonnay

Coyote’s Run Estate Winery produces its most popular wine in stainless steel tanks: perfect for those who prefer a fresher and fruitier style of Chardonnay. It has been named “one of the most consistent and best value whites in Ontario.”

Stonechurch Vineyards 2005 Chardonnay Sans Chene has become a sought after product in the Stonechurch collection of fine wines. “Sans Chene” actually means unoaked – this delectable wine has not seen the inside of an oak barrel yet provides full bodied character with a lingering finish in the mouth.

Each vintage, Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery produces Chardonnay for its “Proprietors’ Reserve”, “Proprietors’ Grand Reserve” and “Delaine Vineyard” tiers. Taste and explore the versatility of how Chardonnay is crafted for each of these, from unoaked, to partial malolactic fermentation and, of course, full-bodied rich and buttery oak-aged Chardonnay.

Oaked

At Hillebrand Winery there’s a rare treat in store. The winery produces single barrel Showcase Chardonnays: only 22 cases of each wine are made and each is hand numbered. Other notable Chardonnays include Trius Chardonnay 2004 and Trius Unoaked Chardonnay 2004.

Lailey Vineyard has some of the oldest Chardonnay vines in the area. Wines produced from these grapes are delicate, elegant and intense expressions of one of Niagara’s premium varietals.

Oaked Chardonnay has been Niagara College Teaching Winery’s wine of distinction since its first vintage won gold in 2001. In fact, this wine has won medals each year since its inception, including Top Chardonnay at the Cuveé in 2007. Niagara College produces excellent Chardonnay grapes in its campus vineyard located on the St. David’s Bench at the foot of the Escarpment.

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