How to Identify Chablis-Style Wine

Chablis has been living a double life in the United State for the past few decades. Rough imitations of Chablis exploded into the market as large jug or box domestic white wines, and persist to this day. Chablis is actually made from Chardonnay grapes in a small area of France just north of Burgundy. This pricey, dry wine is very different than the cheaper domestic knockoffs sold as Chablis.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Refuse to settle for a knockoff. Just because it calls itself Chablis does not make it so. Check the label to verify where the wine was grown and by whom before you buy. Expect to pay roughly $20 to $50 dollars for a bottle of the real thing.

2. Know your grape. Chablis is made in Chablis, France from chardonnay grapes and takes on a stoney, dry crisp flavor that is very different from the pungent flatness of domestic boxed white "Chablis." If you've ever had a particularly good Chardonnay, you might be able to detect the same grapes in genuine Chablis.

3. Buy a higher quality Chablis whenever possible. Wine legislation mandates that Chablis be characterized based on quality or appellation into four categories. Petit Chablis is the lowest, Chablis is standard, Premier Crus is a bit finer and still a good value, and Grand Crus refers to the highest quality Chablis.

4. Choose a vintage. Only high quality Chablis seems to age well, for up to 15 years. Petit Chablis can handle no more than 2 years, while most Chablis can be aged from about 4 years and Premier Crus can last around 8 years.

5. Serve Chablis with food. This is not a great wine to serve alone, but it enhances almost any meal, especially seafood, chicken and ham dishes.

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