There are two holidays which call for family gathering with a formal, sit-down dinner in the Bennett household. Thanksgiving is one, the other is Easter. And both call for a fuller-bodied white wine. Yes, Chardonnay, the traditional Thanksgiving dinner wine, is perfect for a late-autumn get-together with a rich, turkey dinner. But Chardonnay on a crisp spring day with a roast pork dinner?

Noisy Water Winery’s 2019 Skin-Fermented Chardonnay is the perfect foil for any springtime meal. No, it’s not really “orange”, nor does it have an orange nose or taste. “Orange” refers to the process of fermenting white wines with the skins in contact with the juice (a process not typically done with white wines) which give the wines a slight orange hue and a slightly tannic finish, also not typical of white wines. The result is a medium-bodied white wine, not so heavy for warm, sunny days, but with cozy nuances of butter and quince which pair beautifully with a cool April breeze.

Our 2019 Skin-Fermented Orange Chardonnay is the fruit of a labor of love, from our Old Vine Chardonnay grown in our own Forbidden Desert Vineyard in Engle. Neglected 30-year-old vines were brought back to life by loving hands and their fruit converted into a delicious wine which is perfect all year round. It’s the season of rebirth and sipping our Chardonnay is like having a golden springtime in your glass!

“As much as I love crisp, clean whites, there's always a time for rich but balanced Chardonnays”
— Gary Vaynerchuk, entrepreneur

Notes from the Winemaker!