White Wine With Similar Traits to Chard

[seth8530]

Hi all,

I am thinking for this fall I am going to step back a bit from grapes and frozen must and just go with some white juice for economic reasons. Last year I started a batch of chardonnay, because I kind of like how it almost plays like a red wine. Ie, good body and can handle some oak and MLF.

Do you guys know of any other whites that might play similar? One of the things that has been suggested to me is a Viognier.

 

[sour_grapes]

I was going to suggest Viognier, although I must admit that I don't know how it handles oak.

 

[olusteebus]

Myself voigner kit did not have oak

 

[joeswine]

charastics

CHARDENAY IS THE ONLY WHITE THAT I KNOW OF THAT SHARES A RELATIONSHIP WITH OAK,THE OAK IS WHAT GIVES CHARDENAY IT'S CHARASTICS ,ALL OTHER WHITES ARE STRICK LY SPEAKING UNTO THEMSELVES AND DON'T ALLOW FOR THE STRUCTURE AND WOODY TASTE THAT CHARDENAY ALLOWS THE WOOD TO EXORCISES ALSO THE WAY MOST OAK CONSTRUCTED WHITES SOMETIMES ARE COLD SOAKED WITH OAKED AND UNOAKED BLENDED CHARDENAY.

THAT STATEMENT USUALLY DOESN'T APPLY TO ME STRICKLY, ALONG WITH THE OAK IS AT LEAST 1 GRAPEFRUIT ZEST ACCOMPANIMENT THAT BEINGS A BRIGHTNESS TO THE MIX.NOW YOU HAVE A MORE FRUIT FORWARD STYLE OF THE WINE.

 

[olusteebus]

CHARDENAY IS THE ONLY WHITE THAT I KNOW OF THAT SHARES A RELATIONSHIP WITH OAK,THE OAK IS WHAT GIVES CHARDENAY IT'S CHARASTICS ,ALL OTHER WHITES ARE STRICK LY SPEAKING UNTO THEMSELVES AND DON'T ALLOW FOR THE STRUCTURE AND WOODY TASTE THAT CHARDENAY ALLOWS THE WOOD TO EXORCISES ALSO THE WAY MOST OAK CONSTRUCTED WHITES SOMETIMES ARE COLD SOAKED WITH OAKED AND UNOAKED BLENDED CHARDENAY.

THAT STATEMENT USUALLY DOESN'T APPLY TO ME STRICKLY, ALONG WITH THE OAK IS AT LEAST 1 GRAPEFRUIT ZEST ACCOMPANIMENT THAT BEINGS A BRIGHTNESS TO THE MIX.NOW YOU HAVE A MORE FRUIT FORWARD STYLE OF THE WINE.

Would you suggest grapefruit zest for a trinity white?

 

[ibglowin]

Be careful with Viognier from fresh grapes. All your hear about it is that it can go from perfect to horrible if not picked at the right time. Tough grape to manage in the vineyard it seems.

 

[Boatboy24]

I was thinking Viognier as well. But I'd probably just go with a juice bucket if doing a white. I have a Chilean Viognier from this spring aging now. I did give it a little zest, as Joe mentioned, but I went with a lemon/orange combo. In hindsight, grapefruit/orange may have been better, but it is WAY too early to tell. So far, it is pretty good.

 

[joeswine]

Viognier

this is a classic wine and every good wine maker should have this in his or her inventory, make it straight up preference the yeast type if you have tasting notes you'll see peaches and apricots on the nose, should be semi-dry can be sweet medium body. This is one wine that when made with fresh juice and very little tampering comes out great all the time .

 

[seth8530]

Thanks for all the advice, it looks like I will go with 2-3 juice buckets of Viognier. I will ferment cold to perserve the armoatics. I guess the question is whether to use oak or not and whether to try MLF. On a side not, I have never tried Viognier before.

 

[ibglowin]

Most commercial Viognier is fermented in stainless steel or the likes and "tree free" if you know what I mean. I made a CC Showcase Yakima Valley Viognier several years ago and it was excellent even beating out 3 commercial Viogniers in a blind taste taste by some friends whom I had given a bottle to.

 

[DoctorCAD]

The Williams viognier is really good. Mine finished last month and already tastes fantastic.

Tree-free...I like that description.

 

[heatherd]

Seth, also consider Chenin blanc. It is a very tasty white that does well with a bit of oak.
Heather


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Makin

 

[cmason1957]

I am going to throw out something a little off the wall, Chardonel. It seems to be very popular around the Missouri region. Takes oak well. Is a grand child of chardonnay.

Our you might think about Vidal. It also likes oak or can be made unoaked both are very tasty.

 

[seth8530]

Seth, also consider Chenin blanc. It is a very tasty white that does well with a bit of oak.
Heather


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Makin

Thanks I gave that grape a look. Looks like it could be promising. I did some reading about voigner and it looks like it might not age well as I thought it would. Maybe I could blend the two together or perhaps do a chennin blanc.

I am going to throw out something a little off the wall, Chardonel. It seems to be very popular around the Missouri region. Takes oak well. Is a grand child of chardonnay.

Our you might think about Vidal. It also likes oak or can be made unoaked both are very tasty.

I gave Chardonel a look, it seems interesting, but maybe not quite what I am after. The vidal seems interesting, I just have to see if it is going to be getting ripe at the right time. Sounds like it might be a late harvest grape.

Way to find some interesting hybrids.

 

[seth8530]

So thanks for all the input, I think that we are going to do a blend of 66% Viognier and 33% Gewurtz. Possible light oak additions with MLF and heavy sur lie to help give a creamier and biscuity mouthfeel and taste.

Why do this? I believe I have been bitten by the champagne bug. Plus, both of these juices are available from an area of Washington that I visited this summer.