US: Napa winemakers discuss the region’s ‘more affordable’ Chardonnay

(THeDrinksBusiness) - A panel of Napa Valley winemakers and other trade gathered at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone in St. Helena recently to discuss Chardonnay wines priced $30 and under.

For Napa Valley, with its high cost of land and grapes, and a general philosophy of producing premium, no-cost-spared wines, this price category is at the lower end for the varietal. The wines submitted for review ranged from $16 to $30.

Most telling about the category was the number of wines that were available to taste. For an earlier session on red wines priced at $25 and under, the panel received several cases of wine. Not so with Chardonnay—just 14 wines were presented for review and from three vintages: 2010, 2011 and 2012.

In discussions following a tasting of the wines, Chris Phelps, winemaker at Swanson Vineyards, noted the difficult 2010 and 2011 vintages and their reduced yields. Some wineries, the panelists speculated, may have decided not to make a Chardonnay in these vintages, or limit their offerings to a higher-end bottling only.