Interested In Learning Differences between Whites

[Innkeeper]

Almost all New World Chardonnay (those regions outside of Western Europe) have anywhere from a little to far too much exposure to oak. For the more expensive ones it comes from aging in new oak barrels, and for less expensive ones it comes from exposing vats of the wine to toasted oak sawdust. Chardonnay without oak is a delicious but delicately flavored wine. The oak can and frequently becomes overpowering. Then you end up with wine that tastes more like trees than grapes. New World Chardonnay that has not been subjected to any oak is so labeled, usually as unwooded or unoaked. Sometimes there are more subtle messages on front or back labels such as "in the raw" or "unadorned."
Oaked chardonnay can be ok as a quaffer, but reacts harshly with most foods. One food you can eat with it is buttered popcorn. That's what I do when I end up with one received as a gift or in a wine club shipment.

In California, sauvignon blanc has long been subjected to oak too. The success of the mostly oak free New Zealand, Australian, and South African SB has moved several California vinters to cut back on and even eliminate the oak.