Glen Ellen Chardonnay

[Innkeeper]

Glen Ellen Chardonnay played an important role in current American Wine history. Shortly after Sutter Home became the first winery to popularize white zinfandel, the Glen Ellen wine came along. White zin served the purpose of weaning millions of Americans off of soda pop. Glen Ellen Chardonnay, known as the first "fighting varietel" served the purpose of kicking the palates of these folks up a notch. It first came out at $5, and has not gone up much since then. A second service the Glen Ellen served was to hammer the last nail in the coffin of American "chablis."

American chablis was, and what still remains still is, not from Chablis, and most, if not all, did not see a drop of chardonnay in it. Real Chablis from Northern Burgundy is made 100% from chardonnay in an austere, bone dry, style. American chablis is/was plonk made from California field mixes of various white grapes that contained mostly columbard. It was also nauseatingly sweet. Most folks over 40 remember when people, most female people, ordered wine by the class by saying "chablis." Now these same people, or others like them, say "chardonnay." Glen Ellen is the reason for this.