by Fred McMillin for March 25, 1997 Age Your Chardonnay Prologue: Wine improves with age. The older I get, the more I like it. The Rest of the Story: We all hear that substantial red wines improve with age. Well, Chardonnays (white) can be substantial, too. Can they improve with a few years in a cool cellar? My Fort Mason students say "Yes"! The latest example was a 1992 California Chardonnay. In a blind tasting against nine, similarly-priced, younger competitors, the '92 was voted Best of the Whites. Now, a light gold color, it clearly was more mellow and fuller-flavored than in its youth. I'd suggest you purchase two bottles of winemaker Victor Hugo Roberts' latest Chardonnay. Drink one now, and one two years later to check out the effects of Father Time. Oh yes, the winery... 1992 Estate-Bottled Chardonnay, Appellation—Paso Robles Creston Vineyards Calf Canyon Highway, east of San Luis Obispo, CA Phone—(805)238-7398 $10 several years ago Category: Recommended Postscript: The Name Game *Whence Creston winemaker's name Victor Hugo Roberts? Well, his mother taught literature and especially admired the works of the famous French author. *Who was the leader of the group that founded Creston in 1981? It was Christina Crawford. You may have heard of her mother, Joan. A more recent major investor is another familiar name, none other than 'Jeopardy' host Alex Trebek. About the Writer Fred McMillin, a veteran wine writer, has taught wine history for 30 years on three continents. He currently teaches wine courses at San Francisco State and San Francisco City College and is Northern California Editor for American Wine on the Web. In 1995, the Academy of Wine Communications honored Fred with one of only 22 Certificates of Commendation awarded to American wine writers.

Welcome to WineDay, the electronic Gourmet Guide's daily update. Monday through Thursday, WineDay presents a wine profile. Then on Fridays we present the Winery of the Week to take you through the weekend Current WineDay January WineDays February WineDays 03/24/97 A Chardonnay That Came to Play 03/21/97 Winery of the Week Fess Parker Winery and Vineyard 03/20/97 There's No Storm in This Port 03/19/97 This Gewurz Works 03/18/97 The Story Vineyard Story 03/17/97 The Bay Area's Boisset (bwah-say) 03/14/97 Winery of the Week Concannon Vineyard 03/13/97 Hip, Hip, Hurrah for Yakima 03/12/97 The Best Little WINERY in Town 03/11/97 Report from the Fort: A Textbook Sauvignon Blanc 03/10/97 A No-Frills Pinot 03/07/97 Winery of the Week Cloudy Bay Is A-OK 03/06/97 The Beckstoffer Connection 03/05/97 The Case of the Leaping Apostrophe 03/04/97 Bradford Mountain Memories 03/03/97 Who Made This House Wine?

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