Chardonnay blends greet arrival of spring

Now that spring is here, more attention will turn to white wines, and wine makers are looking at new ways to attract your attention.

Although chardonnay continues to be the nation's favorite white, marketers know that many consumers are looking for alternatives.

Banking on chardonnay's popularity, but creating slightly different tastes, wine makers are creating chardonnay blends. One of my favorite combinations has been chardonnay with viognier.

The viognier grape can offer perfume and spice to a chardonnay, making it a nice spring drink. Of course, there are other blends on the shelves as well, such as those with sauvignon blanc.

The wine-tasting group compared five blends of chardonnay costing under $20.

Here are our conclusions from the blind tasting:

- 2002 Les Marionettes Chardonnay-Viognier at $10.99. We found apples, clove and exotic spice in the aroma. We tasted grapefruit in the mouth, plus lots of oak. It had a tangy finish, hot from the alcohol.

- 2002 Mossy Oak Wild Game Blend at $14.99. This aroma was full of pear, melon and over-ripe cantaloupe. On the palate, it was creamy but bright, lively with banana flavors. It had a short finish. This wine finished second in our tasting.

- 2002 Le Lave Bertani at $16.99. This wine smelled of butter and toast, as if the toaster was on high when they made it. In the mouth, the wine had flavors of charred butter but not enough fruit to balance it.

- 2002 Talomas Chardonnay & Viognier at $14.99. We smelled lychee nuts and tropical fruit in the aroma. It was a simple but fun wine, clean and bright and easy to drink. It finished first in our tasting.

- 2002 Andretti Selection Chardonnay at $9.99.This wine was mainly chardonnay with 7 percent sauvignon blanc. The result was an aroma of chardonnay's green apples with a hint of grassiness. The blend did produce a tartness that would make this a good food wine.

Surfing the wine shelves for values

- 2001 Carmenet Merlot at $9. We smelled aromas of vanilla, black cherries and spice. We tasted oaking on the finish.

- 2002 Cecchi Arcano at $14. This organic red wine was a blend of sangiovese and canaiolo grapes from Chianti. It had a floral aroma but the cherry fruit came through on the palate. The wine was nicely dry.

- 2000 Valley of the Moon Cuvee de la Luna at $25. This was a Bordeaux-style blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot and cabernet franc grapes. The wine had the cabernet sauvignon aromas of black currants and blackberries, but the other grapes gave it a soft texture in the mouth.

- 2001 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalima Shiraz at $24. This was a pretty wine, with an aroma of spice and dried dark fruit. We tasted cherry and a hint of licorice on the palate, well rounded in a smooth texture.

- 2001 Hagafen Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at $36. Dark fruit and eucalyptus emerged in the aroma. The dark fruit carried through onto the palate, with hints of chocolate. The texture was lush.

- 2000 Antinori Tignanello at $70. This Tuscan beauty was 80 percent sangiovese with 15 percent cabernet sauvignon and 5 percent cabernet franc. Dried fruit and spice filled the aroma. In the mouth, the texture was silky. These nontraditional blends from Chianti should please American tastes.

Questions can be sent to Frank Sutherland, editor, The Tennessean, 1100 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203 or e-mailed to editor