Today I learned that there are wine makers who are producing unoaked Chardonnays and I must say I'm completely aghast at this. They're using steel now apparently to get rid of, what I consider, the signature aromas and flavors of that type of wine. Sure, the grape itself is how each wine is defined and termed, but I am of the belief that the process by which the wine is made births the soul of that wine. A Chardonnay that doesn't have the smokey, buttery flavors that a wood barrel provides is no Chardonnay to me. Friggin' sacrilege. All because people have a hard type finding good "food pairings" for their Chardonnays. That's their problem!/Sam.

Question: Are you a wine drinker?

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