colonelgrape: 75. I had a tough time with this wine. When we tasted it at the vineyard I remember enjoying it however at home it just fell flat for me. It had strong notes of melon but it wasn’t vibrant and fresh enough for my taste. I usually like Chablis, White Burg, and some young unoaked California chardonnay but this one was just a little too much. It was too long and complex for my liking. It wasn’t a bad, I think it falls somewhere in-between for those who like a little oak on their chardonnay but to me it was just another chard.

MobyGrape: 84. I’ve never had a lightly buttered piece of fruit before, but I imagine if I did it would taste something like this.  It wasn’t too oaky, but at the same time it did have a sort of vanilla smoothness to it that I enjoyed.  It wasn’t too fruity, but it had a melony quality to it that was nice and didn’t taste like piss.  Neither quality was overpowering or lingered in an uncomfortable way.  I’d call it just right if you don’t want something that’s too far out on either end of the spectrum.  It’s Goldie Chardonnay!

We did have an excellent meal though…pan seared scallops with pasta in a white wine, butter, and garlic sauce. There are two school of thought when using wine in cooking: Some prefer to use wine that you would drink thinking it imparts a better flavor while some say use cheap wine. It may be true you might get slightly more complex flavor using better wine I don’t think it’s worth it. I stay away from $2 buck chuck but I use what I can find for around $7-9 and it works just fine. Cook with the swill and drink the good stuff.

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