Drink These 25 bottles and Become a Wine Master Chardonnay is the most popular grape variety in the US. Familiarize yourself with the classic California style—ripe fruit, spicy oak notes—with a wine like the 2015 La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay.

The Path to Wine Wisdom Food & Wine Magazine's 5 Steps to Understanding Wine The segment begins at the 1 hour, 13 minute mark. La Crema’s Chardonnay bottle is featured throughout the segment as it’s displayed on the table and he leads off by saying that it’s a perfect example of a classic, California style Chardonnay.

A good value, this chardonnay is round and medium-bodied with lemon aromas and melon, peach flavors. Soft on the palate with a hint of spice and lemon.

A good value, this chardonnay is round and medium-bodied with lemon aromas and melon, peach flavors. Soft on the palate with a hint of spice and lemon.

Wines of the Week: Favorite Buys of 2017 (Under $20) Our tasting panel is always trying to hunt down great bargains and we’ve discover dozens of wines that really deliver unexpected quality for under $20. Each member picked a favorite in different categories and we invited wine drinkings (who enjoy a glass or two on a regular basis but certainly aren’t experts) to vote for the ones they liked best. Here are the winners: Favorite Chardonnay.

Oak smoke, vanilla and an underlying aroma of crisp apple show on the nose of this widely available wine, a reliable choice for all types of parties. Apple and pear lead into white peach on the palate, with a strong oaky seasoning.

Modern style chardonnay with elegant pineapple, a touch of toffee aromas and a fine balance of freshness and roundness in the mouth. A very pleasant texture and concentration of the flavours that coat the mouth and leave the mind craving the next sip… so why not? A fabulous wine to enjoy on its own or with poulet et frites or slice of mature cheddar. Good value for a very well made wine at around £20.

La Crema has been a source of excellent-value Sonoma Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs for some time. This 2014 wine is one of their best; a substantially oaked and well-concentrated wine.

The estate wines definitely show their difference. The 2014 Saralee's Vineyard Chardonnay invites a lemon meringue comparison to the rather wispy set of other Chards, and the 2014 Saralee's Vineyard Pinot Noir murmurs about spicy, raspberry herbal tea, while the 2015 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir boasts, shyly, about vanilla, raspberry and cola.

This is the quality you expect for a wine by the glass at a high-end restaurant. It has intensity, ripe fruit, oak, alcohol all seamlessly woven together. Flavors are baked apple, pear, white stone fruit and brown baking spices. Aromas, flavors, finish: This wine is all about style.

Smooth sip, but charming from the far West. We are in the Sonoma Coast, California and La Crema winery established at the end of the ’70's, reminds also with this name a particular style of production. Style that we can find in the Chardonnay 2014 (distributed by Philarmonica, €22 in Wine Stores) with golden Californian color and creamy and toasted notes, that reveals the variety of origin, ending with a vibrant and fruity mouth.

Wine & Food pairing recommendation ...For the brave who like to feel the heat, anything other than the aforementioned should work. I would recommend in all cases to stick to younger, riper styles of wines, and avoid those with too much complexity as the spices might dominate any subtlety present in the wine. The white version of a spice booster would be a New World oaky Chardonnay loaded with exotic fruit, vanilla, pineapple and a slightly higher alcohol content of around 13.5% ABV, such has the 2014 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay from La Crema Vineyard in California, which is ripe with sweet spices and white peach.

The Best Drinks to Pair With Barbecue For lighter fare like grilled chicken and seafood, an oaky Chardonnay is a delightful choice. The woodsy notes in the wine will pick up the charred, caramelized character in your meal, with a hint of acid to balance things out.

This is a chardonnay-lover’s chardonnay. Gorgeous notes of stone fruit, honeysuckle and butterscotch. Seamless texture. Decidedly decadent, but maintains its balance. Lovely.

This is an appealing chardonnay for white wine lovers across the board. A great melding of flavors – citrus and stone fruit. Notes of lemon, apricot and spice. Great balance. Crisp, yet lush. A smart buy.

Floral aroma, hint of oak, packed with flavors of ripe peaches and candy, spicy, rich, full-bodied and lush, long, fruity finish.

Bright and racy and crisp, with aromas and flavors of lemons and apples.

This chardonnay from the Sonoma Coast appellation - the heart of La Crema's business despite successful forays into other regions - profited from a long, cool and predictable growing season, which delivered small berries with firm acidity and highly concentrated aromas and flavors. The fruit was hand-harvested, whole-cluster pressed, then fermented in French oak.

La Crema makes wines with good value - delicious and inexpensive for what you get. This chardonnay is very aromatic and loaded with juicy apple flavors and hints of spice and vanilla.

Think ripe white peaches, green apples and melons and citrus: The 2012 Chardonnay from the cool climes of Monterey has layers of flavor — infused with oak and braced by firm acidity. The smoke and spice off the barrels ripple through the aromas. It’s a full-bodied wine — alcohol is almost 14 percent. It’s like an essence of Chardonnay – intense and concentrated, a meal in itself. And yes, pair it with the proverbial chicken, veal, pork and seafood but you will likely find yourself studying this golden nectar more than the food. It’s a restaurant wine you can pour at home. The vintage is hailed by winemakers as one of the best in this new century.

A tropical chardonnay that's a steal for the quality. Floral, with notes of pineapple, herbs and spice. Well-integrated. Nice length. Well done.

A gorgeous chardonnay with a winning combination of stone fruit and bright acidity. There's also honeysuckle and butterscotch in the mix. Complex and absolutely lovely.

2014 La Crema Chardonnay, Russian River Valley: crisp and lively, with intense aromas and flavors of apples and peaches, long finish.

This is a very delicious and smooth pinot noir with great complexity and finish. Licorice and cola aromas with supple and sweet blackberry flavors. We also like the winery's 2011 Monterey pinot noir for $23 - a good value.

2012 La Crema Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco, Monterey: rich aromas and flavors of ripe mangos and peaches, smooth and creamy.