As a wine connoisseur, there are many wine myths that I enjoy dispelling.   Some people believe that only red wines can be consumed during cold winter months.   Others rail against the merits of California Chardonnay and brazenly call the varietal insipid.  If you have had the opportunity to enjoy this week’s featured wine, however, you will smirk and know that both of these views are simply unfounded and easily dispelled.

So what is Unoaked Chardonnay?

The terminology is as straight-forward as it sounds.   If a winemaker is electing to make its Chardonnay in a “unoaked” style, the wine will be made in stainless steel as opposed to oak.  By doing so, the wine is very crisp (often described as “precise”), light and characterized by distinct refreshing minerality.

Unoaked Chardonnay in California is similar to Chardonnay found in the Chablis region of France.   Rarely will Chardonnays in the Chablis region go through malolactic fermentation or be exposed to oak barreling.   While at first blush this may seem like a simplistic way to make Chardonnay it is generally considered to be the truest and purest expression of the grape itself.   Unoaked Chardonnays are fermented only in stainless steel.   The result is like those of the Chablis region, simple, straight-forward, clean, crisp, light and generally characterized by green apple, melon or citrus fruit on the palate.  With Unoaked Chardonnay you will not find the big creamy, vanilla, toasted oak or butterscotch notes.

If you are seeking a California Unoaked Chardonnay that embodies the very essence of California itself, then look no further than Charlie Wagner’s Mer Soleil Silver Unoaked Chardonnay 2007.

The wine offers a festively aromatic nose similar to a light tropical breeze as it is characterized by a perfume of ripe Asian pear, banana and peach.  The palate is not disappointed in the least by this wine as it encounters lush tree ripened stone fruit such as peach and nectarine followed by melon and pear.   Dressed with a delicate minerality and spice that dances across the palate, Mer Soleil’s 2007 Silver Unoaked Chardonnay shows off the bare essence of the Chardonnay grape in its full unfettered glory.    With attributes such as these, this wine easily proves that it is the quintessential California white wine which is perfect for whiling away late summer hours or simply pining for spring in January.   When the Bay Area is socked in with winter fog, the lush clean flavors of this wine artfully slice through damp moisture and manage to brighten and refresh on an otherwise dreary day.

Contemplating food pairings, the Mer Soleil 2007 Silver Unoaked Chardonnay’s clean mouth feel and luscious crisp fruit flavors make this wine the perfect companion to seafood.   With this in mind, this week’s menu hosts:

·         Seared Scallops Atop Sweet Pea Risotto With Microgreen-Pomegranate Seed Salad

Sweet Pea Risotto is an excellent spring dish bringing unexpected savory layers of flavors to the palate.   Incorporating the juice and zest of the Rangpur Lime picked from the patio, artichoke, sweet peas, chardonnay, shallot, garlic and parmesan, this risotto invokes feelings enamorment akin to fresh newly minted spring love.  Taking a bite of this risotto with a sip of the wine pulls out the spice in the wine and its minerality dazzles bringing forth sweet inexplicable and unexpected warmth.

Rangpur Lime is such a wonderful culinary secret weapon.   Grown on the patio in a container, it is a prolifically producing winter seasonal fruit.   Mirroring the tangerine and lime, its flavor can add zip, pizzazz and energy to the most common dish and leave your dinner guests in wonderment.   It freshens and brightens the typically heavy, creamy risotto dish and leaves you firmly convinced that spring is right around the corner.

Top this risotto with a perfectly sautéed scallop and bring the “wow factor” to your guest’s plate.  The scallop was gently sautéed in a mixture of olive oil, butter and Rangpur Lime juice.  The clean flavors of the wine pair perfectly with the scallop, which delicately breaks apart and sensuously skates across the palate.

And why microgreens?

Microgreens are delicate in texture making it a favorite for simple “garnish salads”:  clean and light in texture, yet loaded with slightly sweet flavors.   Adorn a microgreen salad with pomegranate seeds and these little gems not only add color to a predominantly “green” meal but add a “pop” of flavor.  Just like the extravert at the dining table, these simple seeds add an entertaining burst of flavor that awakens the taste buds and turns the meal into a conversation.   Pair this salad with a sparkling wine and make salad sexy.

This meal meets its California soul mate with the 2007 Mer Soleil Silver Unoaked Chardonnay.  The wine, despite being unoaked, is rich in its own right.  Only once before have I said that a winemaker has captured California in a bottle:   regarding Charlie Wagner’s other Chardonnay under his Mer Soleil label.   From the first cool mist that you feel in the air when the fog starts to roll into the coast, to the rich sun kissed ripe fruit that adorns neighborhood yards, this wine embodies the true spirit of California.  So whether you are enjoying that first 60 degree weather on a late afternoon or lingering over winter candlelight, hit that proverbial pause that California lifestyle is known for and enjoy a glass of Mer Soleil’s Silver Unoaked Chardonnay.