2018 Wood Family Vineyards Chardonnay with a New Delightful Dish
Tried a new recipe for stir fried chicken last night and the wine suggestions were German Riesling, Torrontes, Semillon, Chenin Blanc, Gruner Vetliner or Gewürztraminer. While I like those choices, none are found in the home cellar. They also suggested Champagne or Chenin Blanc. The issue with these two is that the Champagne in the cellar is reserved for special occasions and my wife is not a fan of Chenin Blanc! Since she was preparing the meal we went with our “utility wine” and one of our favorite wines. Picked out a bottle of 2018 Wood Family Vineyards Chardonnay.
Turns out the Wood Family Chardonnay was perfect with the meal. Wood Family Vineyards 2018 Para Mas Amigas Chardonnay, Gold Medal Winner from SF Chronicle Wine Competition in 2019. Not too “oaky”, this wine burst with lemon and pear, followed by butterscotch and as Rhonda Wood states “crackerjack flavors”. Not an over the top buttery Chardonnay like Rombauer, but just enough to provide a light buttery caramel and texture in the mouth. First on the eyes, a golden hue and medium viscosity is obvious. On the nose and palate, the wine has lingering tropical fruits, peach and pear in the palate. A portion under goes 100% secondary malolactic fermentation, but allows a final mix, to allow old world and new world Chardonnay to coexist in harmony. In a recent conversation, Rhonda stated she blended her Chardonnay from both “tightly grained barrels and loosely grained barrels” into the final production wine.
The meal that accompanied the wine (I know it is usually the other way around!), was a sesame chicken and bok choy stir fry served over Udon noodles. This was a Weight Watchers recipe and was prepared with sliced boneless/skinless chicken breasts, canola oil, dark sesame oil, sliced uncooked white onions, ginger root, minced garlic, uncooked bok choy (sliced crosswise) and soy sauce. A small amount of Sriracha sauce was added to provide a hint of heat to the dish. Served over a bed of Udon noodles.
Turns out the new dish with a trusted solid Chardonnay was again a delightful dish!
Sláinte,
Michael
California Wines & Wineries 