Newbie needs some help with wine selection.

[Innkeeper]

Most New World (regions outside of Western Europe) chardonnays, in an effort to emmulate the finest White Burgundys, have been exposed to too much oak either in new oak barrel aging for the more expensive ones, or simply enfused with toasted oak sawdust. Chardonnay does not have a monopoly on the term, but does have the highest percentage of oak bombs.