“Today is International Chardonnay Day (or National, Global or World Chardonnay Day) and for those of you too cool, or self-obsessed to consider drinking chardonnay, well, this isn’t for you. For the rest of us, delectable Chardonnay wines remain the #1 selling varietal wine in the United States and indeed the world. Wente Vineyards in the Livermore is a huge part of this story, and in fact this marks their 100th year of producing “Wente clones” based on original cutting planted in their vineyards in 1912. Today this clone is the most widely distributed clone of Chardonnay. Wente has also been varietally labeled wine, “Chardonnay since 1936.

“According to Nielsen tracked data, Chardonnay remains the top selling wine varietal in off premise wine sales with an 18.7 market share (Cabernet Sauvignon is second with a 15.8 market share). This translates into an awful lot of Chardonnay available to consumers. The protoypical big buttery California Chardonnay bombs of the past have decreased, though there are still some outstanding examples – like Rombauer’s Chardonnay, but today customers have many types of Chardonnay to enjoy.

“Enclosed are some of my personal favorites.

“Gainey – Santa Rita Hills. Caramel apple notes, the color of harvested straw, this wine is oh so smooth on the mid palate and easy to drink.

“Go out and enjoy some Chardonnay today!”

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