Blenheim Vineyards White Table Wine

Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Region: Charlottesville – Virginia – USA
Cost: $14

Winemaker’s Notes: Aromas of honeysuckle, pineapple and citrus herald this clean crisp wine. Notes of caramelized pear, melon and peach are followed by a smooth, subtly sweet finish. Aged 5 months in French and American oak.

My Review: I don’t think it’s any secret by this point that I’m a fan of the wines produced by Blenheim Vineyards and their winemaker Kirsty Harmon. Because of that, during the Virginia Wine Expo back in February, my wife and I made sure to grab several bottles of wine from the Blenheim booth, and last night we opened up one of them to go with our dinner.

The Blenheim Vineyards White Table Wine is a 100% Chardonnay wine, though to be honest, if somebody told me it had some Viognier in there I wouldn’t call them a liar. In the glass the wine is a robust golden color, and on the nose you get floral notes and honeysuckle that you would associate with Viognier, but more robust and with a citrus edge.

In the mouth I picked up peach as much as anything, and on the finish I got just a hint of sweetness that again made me think that somebody dropped a little Viognier in here (though I believe Kirsty when she says it’s a single varietal).

Paired with a meal that involved sauteed chicken, peppers, onion, pasta, and cream cheese all done up in a southwest style it was a nice crisp note against the creamy nature of the dish which also featured just a hint of heat.

This is a great summer deck wine, or a good wine for whenever you’re looking for a nice versatile white wine. For the price it’s a good value and something you can pick up in bulk to use as your white table wine or to serve at parties as it will fit most palates in search of a white. As always I recommend going out to visit Blenheim if you have the chance, but at the least you should go online and order some wine from them at their website (http://www.blenheimvineyards.com).