Wine School: The Many Faces of Chardonnay
Celebrated for its versatility, from crisp and unoaked to buttery and oak-aged, Chardonnay is the world’s most popular white wine with over 494,00 acres (200,000 hectares) planted worldwide. With its remarkable adaptability, this grape is considered a “blank canvas” by winemakers, and is a work of art to create as every aspect of the winemaking process can affect the individual flavor profiles, lending itself to almost any style of wine making from dry stills, to sparkling, to sweet late harvest wines.
Chardonnay originated from Burgundy, France, where styles can vary from rich, oaked expressions in Meursault to lean, mineral-driven Chablis. However, Chardonnay has a global reach and is widely planted in California, Australia, Chile, and New Zealand. For new and developing wine regions, growing Chardonnay can be seen as a ‘rite of passage’ and an easy entry into international wine making. It is vinified in many different styles, from the lean, crispy mineral wines of Chablis, France, to New World wines with oak and tropical fruit flavors.
Making Chardonnay involves harvest, pressing grapes, settling the juice, and then fermentation and this is where the key decisions are made. Join us as we try various Chardonnays and discuss the difference between stainless steel fermentation, and oak-barrels. Using Malolactic Fermentation styles or allow lees to remain in contact with the wine and discover why this grape has the reputation of one of the greatest wines in the world.
Tickets are non-refundable, but they are transferable between friends! You can view our Cancellation Policy here!
Instructor Bio: Victoria Tuzet
Originally from Montréal, Canada, Victoria recently relocated to the Upper Valley after several years in Southern California. A passionate traveler with a deep curiosity for wine, she plans her adventures around the world’s most celebrated wine regions whenever possible. Her wine travels have taken her through Napa and Sonoma in California; Bordeaux, the Loire Valley, Champagne, Provence, and Alsace in France; Valpolicella and the tiny towns of Tuscany in Italy; Spain’s Rioja and Cava regions; Portugal’s Douro and Porto; and even the volcanic vineyards of the Canary Islands.
Victoria spent four months living in Spain, immersing herself in the local wine culture, and later worked the 2022 harvest in France’s Rhône Valley, assisting with winemaking at an organic and biodynamic estate. She holds her WSET Level 3 Award in Wine and is currently completing the WSET Diploma, with expected graduation in 2026. When she’s not talking terroir or vintages, you’ll likely find her watching documentaries, attempting to bake, or crafting between tastings.