The International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration is an annual weekend event that has a mission to increase awareness and acceptance for stylish white wines.EDIL MENDEZ/Supplied
A day to celebrate the world’s most popular white wine grape might be seen as an unnecessary flex, but chardonnay wasn’t riding high in 2010 when May 22 was established as Chardonnay Day.
The online event was launched by American sommelier and brand strategist Rick Bakas fifteen years ago to boost engagement and sales in the wake of the global financial crisis and a consumer backlash from so-called ABC wine drinkers who enjoyed “anything but chardonnay.”
That same year, a group of Ontario winemakers joined forces to create the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration, an annual weekend celebration of wine and food with a mission to increase awareness and acceptance for their stylish white wines.
As fate would have it, the Niagara-based event held on the third weekend of July is about to seize upon Chardonnay Day celebrations to let wine lovers know what to expect. This year’s celebration marks the 15th anniversary of the event, which runs July 17 to 20, with its reliable mix of educational tastings, winery events and dinners designed to showcase the various styles of still and sparkling wines created with the chardonnay grape.
Cloudsley Cellars, Domaine Le Clos Jordanne and Rosehall Run are some of the 31 Ontario participating wineries, with Checkmate and Joie from the Okanagan and Blomidon and Lightfoot & Wolfville from Nova Scotia rounding out the Canadian contingent. Catena Zapata from Argentina, Beare Green Winery from England and Domaine Laroche from France count among the international guests.
This year’s celebration marks the 15th anniversary of the event, which runs July 17 to 20.James Ton Productions/Supplied
The celebration kicks off with a day of educational seminars called The School of Cool, featuring a keynote address by Clive Pursehouse, the North American editor for Decanter.
Weekend-long VIP packages are available ($1,343.36 for two people with accommodation at White Oaks Resort) and tickets are available for individual events, ranging from $25 to $147. Winemakers and winery principals are on hand to pour and discuss the wines being poured, which adds to the attraction. More information is available at coolchardonnay.org
Behind the scenes, winemakers benefit from connecting with other talented producers from across this country and around the world. As a result, Canadian chardonnays have gotten better each year as winemaking teams adopt and adapt best practices from other vineyards and cellars. The quality continues to climb across the variety of styles – including unoaked, barrel-fermented and sparkling expressions –ranging from citrussy and refreshing to rich and rewarding that have helped convert ABC consumers and others to the allure of well-made, thirst-inspiring Canadian chardonnay.
