Written by Darby Wagner

Like most things in life, choosing a wine – like choosing a restaurant or where to go on your next vacation – is a matter of circumstance contingent on a number of factors. Factors like: where you are, the options at your immediate disposal, your financial means/flexibility, and of course, any standards you (or the peanut gallery) may have, being some of the most notable. The list goes on.

We’ve all been in situations where our ‘standards’ were tested (sometimes even ridiculed) and our ‘budgets’ pushed to their limits. Certain scenarios deserve a laughing track, while others, a hug. Choosing a wine can run the gamut from hilariously sad and cringe-worthy to overwhelming, incredible and maybe even surreal.

The point of this series is threefold: first, to encourage readers and imbibers alike to explore new varieties with confidence; second, to break the stereotype of “snob” and come up with a less derogatory term for someone who basically cares about how they spend their precious brain cells and currency as it relates to food and wine; and third, to bring a bit of buoyancy and playfulness into the new age of vini & viticulture–a world that many (including myself) consider to be a dizzying Pandora’s box. In other words, how to courageously err from the norm, from our go-to’s, from the comfort havens we all have when faced with making a decision; in this case, in choosing a wine.

Edification is in. Exclusivity is out.

Disclaimer: I personally gravitate towards wines that reflect (to me) alchemy and synergy as opposed to chemistry and manipulation. Highlighting producers whose philosophies stem from that framework is what you can expect from me. And if they don’t speak to you, or you’re curious about other alternatives, I encourage you to comment below or reach out. Let’s start a conversation.

Destination: France

First up, France. For two reasons: familiarity and accessibility. Still to this day, French wine is some of the most accessible in the world, so knowing France is still the #1 exporter comes at little surprise. France also happens to be home to some of the most sought after grape varieties (amongst growers and consumers), which inadvertently makes them some of the most familiar. They are: chardonnay, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon. 

Today, we will focus on one of these grapes.

White Burgundy, aka Chardonnay.

Being discerning and confident is a really great feeling. And that’s how we want to feel every time we order or purchase a wine. Even if that means you’re buying wine from the corner store at 2 am, in a different country, five glasses and two tequila shots deep, on someone else’s tab. No judgment. It’s a real scenario. Let’s begin.

White Burgundy

Bourgogne Blanc

Consider this ‘the poor (wo)man’s’ Burgundy, or Burgundian ‘vin de table’; unoaked, young, with a linear taste profile where crisp apple and mineral notes dominate the palate.

Chablis

This appellation/subregion, due west of the northernmost Côte de Nuits sub-appellation of Burgundy, is often the most recognizable of Burgundian whites. Chablis [shuh-blee] epitomizes unoaked chardonnay’s racy potential: zippy, citrusy, lean, these wines effuse the limestone-rich soils upon which they’re grown.

Noteworthy appellations: Chablis & Côtes d’Auxerrois

Mâconnais

All the way to the south, this subregion represents the softer side of chardonnay. Where a Chablis exhibits more minerality, a Mâconnais [mac-oh-nay] exhibits more fruit: melon and starfruit in particular. These wines are often unoaked.

Noteworthy appellations: Pouilly-Fuissé & Saint Véran

Côte de Beaune

Smack in the middle of Burgundy, we have the star child, the ‘crème de la crème’ as the French would say. Key word: oak. Yes, believe me when I say ‘oaky chard’ can be a marvelous thing. Wines from this subregion are the most serious and wise, expressive, and also, expensive. Think opulent, fleshy, cerebral wines, with a range of tertiary elements like truffle and hazelnut as a result of prolonged oak aging. 

Noteworthy appellations: Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Savigny-lès-Beaune

General Descriptors: calcareous (clay and limestone soil), zippy, mineral, crisp, dry, fleshy, rich, apple, melon, starfruit, tropical, creamy, aromatic, oxidative, honeyed, nutty.

White Burgundy Alter Egos

Now, of course, some of you may look at these suggested alternatives and be surprised. The truth is, chardonnay is one of the most versatile white grape varieties in the world, with numerous alternatives or “alter egos”. It isn’t enough to say, “I like Burgundian chardonnay” anymore; one must be a bit more specific. As you see, in Burgundy alone, chardonnay sings in technicolor tones; terroir truly is everything here, and each subregion has its particular touch and idiosyncrasies in how it expresses the beauty of the grape. 

If you like Chablis, where chardonnay is abuzz with minerality and citrus-y elegance, then look no further than carricante from Mt. Etna—the “Chablis” of Italy. Viognier from Chile may seem like a wild card for a chardonnay enthusiast (or non-enthusiast), but Chilean viognier grown and vinified naturally is where one experiences viognier’s foreign alter ego: it isn’t as soft and supple as a French viognier. Savagnin, well, this one is for the many vintners of the world who maintain an allegiance to cultural posterity. Savagnin and chardonnay are like fraternal twins. Very similar and yet distinctly different. 

Despite the many alter egos of chardonnay, the idea here is simply to start familiarizing yourself more with them; to define each grape variety in your own words, through your own experiences…

Viognier 

Home: Northern Rhône & Languedoc-Roussillon, France.

Personality: Jaded and underrated. A queer kind of grape who was cross dressing before cross dressing was cool–but is, nevertheless, still trying to accept all of its different sides. On the one hand, we have a soft-spoken observer who lurks behind their more popular friends (i.e. marsanne, roussanne, syrah) doing whatever it takes to feel ‘accepted’, even if it doesn’t always feel good. On the other hand, when in the right circumstances, we have a wise and empowered orator and activist, whose tender but direct speech uplifts and inspires others to love every part of their body and identity, however plump, oily, sassy or non-binary it may be. 

Notable Attributes: Northern Rhône. This is the true home of viognier and where viognier’s signature rich and creamy side shines as a single varietal, particularly in Condrieu, the tiny appellation dedicated to its growth. A mid-ripening grape prone to diseases, viognier’s journey has been met with much tumult over the years—having nearly gone extinct until the 1980s, when Australia’s Eden Valley saved it from extinction. This New World cultivation of the varietal eventually ushered in a new dawn for viognier where the grape could start exploring and embracing its various sides and expressions. It is now grown in numerous countries throughout Europe (e.g. Spain, Italy, Greece), as well as the US (e.g. California, Virginia), South America (e.g. Chile, Argentina), South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and even Japan. Despite its proclivity for lower levels of acidity, when grown in the right conditions (sunny climates with consistent diurnal shifts and close to a body of water), viognier’s characteristic viscosity and tropical and stone fruit flavors are balanced out by more citrus, herbal and mineral elements, like in Echeverria’s No Es Pituko! from Chile.

Viña Echeverria "No Es Pituko!" Viognier 2022

Savagnin

Home: Jura, France.

Personality: Deft, witty, a bit nutty, a grape who speaks with a particular accent of poetic eloquence that seems of another time. Savagnin is exotic, but somehow feels right at home. White flowers in the garden. Analog everything. The effortlessly cool old soul who wears socks with birkenstocks, reads a lot of old literature and cookbooks, lives in a quaint, breezy mountainside abode, and likes to play chess or poker, depending on how much ‘fun’ it wishes to have.  

Notable Attributes: Vin jaune. Savagnin is the only grape allowed in this distinct and rare kind of wine, made only in the Jura sub-appellations of Château-Chalon and L’Étoile. Reminiscent of fino sherry, vin jaune is vinified very slowly then racked to a large foudre with air where it matures for several years under a naturally occurring film of flor yeast (what the French call a “voile”, i.e. sous voile). From this, the wine develops rich, nutty flavors and a deep yellow hue. Savagnin is a late-ripening grape thought to be a distant relative or clone of the traminer variety–not sauvignon blanc, despite their similarity in name. Grown predominantly in the Jura with the exception of a few producers in the Loire Valley as well as northern California.

Les Bottes Rouges, "Face B" Savagnin 2018

Carricante

Home: Sicily, Italy.

Personality: Zingy, zangy, zesty, full of zeal and sex appeal. Carricante enjoys being late to the party, because in its eyes, enjoying the journey to the party is where the fun really begins. Enjoys maximal doses of sunshine, long walks in high places, and a Mediterranean diet rich in herbal citrus-y salads.

Notable attributes: Volcanic soil. Two more words: Etna Bianco. Indigenous to the still-active Mt. Etna volcano, and grown at high altitudes, carricante is the primary white variety in the Etna DOC. Its name has two derivatives: the first, “u carricanti,” which means “heavily laden” in the local Sicilian dialect; and the second, from the word “caricare,” which means “to load, to burden”. A dreamer of decadence and a child of Jupiter, this grape prefers splendor to modesty. Carricante is a high-yielding grape bursting with vibrant acidity and a savory minerality that speaks to summertime on an island where the fish and flowers are plentiful.

SRC, “Etna Bianco” 2021