by Fred McMillin for April 22, 1997 A Seven-Vineyard Chardonnay Prologue: "Chardonnay can produce pineapple flavors. They are sharp, acid-fresh in the cool southern Napa Valley. They are closer to sweet, canned pineapple in the warmer growing regions [to the north]"...by Dr. Alan Young in "Chardonnay, Your International Guide" The Rest of the Story: So, should a winemaker use grapes from the cool south or the warmer north? "Use both," is the answer by Rutherford Ranch winemaker Mark Swain. In 1995 he started the Chardonnay harvest on Sept. 9th in the warmer, earlier-ripening north end. Then, the harvest moved south to the central Rutherford-Oakville districts. The seventh, and final vineyard, in the southern Carneros, wasn't picked until the end of the month. If you are interested in expanding your knowledge of the world's most important white wine grape, definitely try this one. You can taste both the southern tartness and the softer northern fruit...and it's only $9.50. 1995 Chardonnay, Napa Valley (from north to south) Rutherford Ranch Silverado Trail, Napa Valley, CA Phone—(707)963-5251 $9.50 Category: Recommended Postscript: For more about the Rutherford Ranch, see the Jan. 23,1997 issue of WineDay. 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 March WineDays 04/21/97 Drink the Gold 04/18/97 Winery of the Week Raymond Vineyard and Cellar 04/17/97 A Chardonnay That Came to Play 04/16/97 The Longest Name in the Valley 04/15/97 Raising Syrah to New Heights 04/14/97 Learn to say Vee-oh-nyay, For come what may It's here to stay 04/11/97 Winery of the Week Mirassou Vineyards and Winery 04/10/97 When Cape Mentelle Rang the Bell 04/09/97 Where to Grow Merlot 04/08/97 What's Hot, What's Not 04/07/97 An All-Pro Pinot 04/04/97 Winery of the Week How the Pope Coped 04/03/97 The Larsen Legend 04/02/97 The Blush Gold Rush 04/01/97 It's the Grapes, Stupid

Global Gourmet | FoodDay Copyright © 1997—the electronic Gourmet Guide, Inc. All rights reserved.