theCompass
 Home   Map   Blog Roll   WineCompass   Wine 101   My Compass 

Classic White

Classic White Wine Details
Price: $13.00 per bottle

Description: A balanced off-dry wine with medium body; hints of melon and pear, vanilla and hazelnut ; aged in French and American Oak; drier than St. Pepin. Grapes: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay

Varietal Definition
Chardonnay:
Chardonnay is by far the most widely planted grape crop in California and dominates California’s cooler, coastal, quality wine regions. The natural varietal ‘taste and smell’ of Chardonnay is surprisingly unfamiliar to many wine drinkers, as its true character is often guised with dominating winemaking signatures. Chardonnay’s rather subdued primary fruit characteristics lean toward the crisp fruitiness of apples, pears and lemon, but the variety’s full body is capable of supporting a host of complementary characteristics, such as oak, butter and vanilla. Regardless of what is the appropriate style for Chardonnay, the varietal continues to dominate vineyard plantings in every corner of the world. Close attention to clonal selection has made this broad geographic and climactic range of Chardonnay viable in thoughtful viticultural hands.
St. Pepin:
St. Pepin is a sister seedling of LaCrosse, which was also developed by Elmer Swenson. However, the similarly cold-hardy St. Pepin is a fruitier and earlier-ripening grape, which makes one of the best white wines in Minnesota. It is also used for juice. The grape is being grown experimentally in South Dakota and in other cold winter states. The vine has average susceptibility to Downy Mildew, Powdery Mildew, and Black Rot.


Reviews




Back to Cannon River Winery information