I'm a fall person.
Like, I don't know if I'd voluntarily refer to myself as Pinterest-level fall or anything, and I think Pumpkin Spice Lattes are way too sweet, but boots, leaves, apple-picking? Give it to me. I love cozy sweaters, and bonfires, and other fall-tivities (Although admittedly I'm not great at haunted houses- I was scarred as a young child due to an unfortunate experience at the Mummy walk-through attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood— thanks a lot Imhotep).
One of my favorite fall activities is directly related to the abundance of squash available this time of year, specifically the carving and roasting parts (which would sound kiiiinda weird if I wasn't talking about squash). I love roasting vegetables, since it's an easy and delicious way to get the most flavor out of your vegetables, and there's something so nice and fall-like about roasting squash with olive oil and rosemary.
So why the squash talk? This is not a food blog, you might think. This is a wine blog. I promise I know that.
So let's talk about wine now.
Surrounded by gourds and feeling fine!
My deep love of squash is what inspired the purchase of the Butternut Chardonnay. Even though I'm normally not the hugest Chardonnay fan (I tend to like my white wine with a little more citrus), I couldn't ignore a wine named after my second favorite vegetable (number one OBVIOUSLY being the snap pea). Plus I really liked the label. It says "I'm fall and also I'm fun," which is exactly what you want a wine bottle to say... right?
For most wines (if not all...), flavor depends a lot on how the wine was aged (specifically if it was barrel aged or aged in stainless steel). Which means we get to have a conversation about barrels. (I KNOW- living the dream!)
I know what you're thinking: Wine is aged in barrels. Everyone knows that. Barrels are boring.
Not so! The world of barrels is exciting!
As wine drinkers, we spend a lot of time talking about how there are certain flavors in wines, like "oh this one's got hints of peach," and "Oh I definitely taste the tobacco in this one." Sometimes people wonder, are there actually plums in this? Unless you're drinking Slivovitz (I worked at a winery that had Serbo-Croatian roots....and they LOVE their plum brandy...), there usually isn't actual fruit in the wine. In fact, the flavors normally come from qualities the grape already has, and how it's aged. A lot of white wines are aged in stainless steel tanks to give them a more acidic quality, and if they do spend time in oak barrels, it's a lot less time than a red wine.
Come closer and admire the lovely golden label!
Traditionally, Chardonnay is aged in French Oak (we'll talk about that later)- it gives it a nice vanilla/pear flavor (which seems more like a Bath and Body scent than a wine flavor but there you go...) and also gives it its signature "buttery" quality. You can definitely use stainless steel for Chardonnay (in fact, a lot of wineries use a combination of oak and stainless steel aging), but Chardonnay aged only in stainless steel will typically be lighter tasting, and may have a lemony flavor, rather than the creaminess that comes from the oak.
So now that we're all experts in barrels and stainless steel, let's talk about the Butternut. As you may have picked up from the label, the AVA is only listed as "California," because the grapes were sourced from multiple vineyards in California (to read more about AVAs, check out my last post). The result is a classic, nicely blended Chardonnay.
It's kind of the color of olive oil to be honest... but I mean that in a totally good way.
In the glass, the wine's a really pretty gold color, and definitely a lot darker than the wines I've talked about before. Taste and smell-wise, this wine is really interesting. To me, it smells a lot like vanilla and dried pears, and there's something else in there that's almost like apple pie spice (praise-hands emoji for apple pie season, amirite?). My first thought after sipping it was that it's got this almost caramel-y taste, but there's also a hazelnutty aftertaste. Sort of like that one weird spotty jelly bean that's supposed to be toasted marshmallow. It's super smooth, and has that signature Chardonnay butteriness. Definitely a good wine for colder weather. Bring on the vegetables.
OUR RATING: I'm going to be totally honest, my panel of tasters was heavily divided on this one. (If you haven't read about our rating system- I tend to employ the "group taste" method- aka I make my friends taste the wine and ask what they pick up... and obviously I get veto power). Some really enjoyed it, while others thought it had an aftertaste that reminded them of actual butternut squash. (I won't tell you who said what- you'll have to try it for yourself!). For now, let's call it a classic tasting Chardonnay— good for when you wanna get cozy (preferably by a fireplace after going pumpkin picking at a place like this).
I'D DRINK THIS:
As a post-hayride pick-me-up.
While wearing a sweater (preferably one you've knitted yourself... although personally I can really only knit hats).
At the drive-in (smuggled obviously) while taking advantage of the last few warm nights. Popcorn not optional.
At a dinner with friends, where ironically, butternut squash is being served.