{"id":7760,"date":"2019-05-28T16:11:12","date_gmt":"2019-05-28T20:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.winetraveler.com\/?post_type=winery&p=7760"},"modified":"2021-10-05T18:20:11","modified_gmt":"2021-10-05T22:20:11","slug":"mcritchie-winery-ciderworks","status":"publish","type":"winery","link":"https:\/\/www.winetraveler.com\/winery\/mcritchie-winery-ciderworks\/","title":{"rendered":"McRitchie Winery & Ciderworks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sean and Patricia McRitchie focus on expertly crafted, artisan wines and ciders served in an understated tasting room in the Blue Ridge foothills.<\/p>\n

With roots in the West Coast wine region, Sean and Patricia McRitchie established their own artisan winery in the Yadkin Valley, their adopted home. The small-scale winery focuses on sustainable growing practices in the vineyard, low-intervention winemaking, and a warm, approachable tasting room. McRitchie was the first hard cider producer in North Carolina. The traditional sparkling apple ciders come in two varieties, semi-sweet and dry, and seasonal releases include sour cherry and cranberry. The dry wines are produced from estate- and locally grown vinifera and French-American hybrid grapes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"amenity":[1141,860,803],"wine_style":[1646,919,920,1291,205,1640,204],"experiences":[],"class_list":["post-7760","winery","type-winery","status-publish","hentry","amenity-outdoor-patio","amenity-vineyard-views","amenity-wine-tastings","wine_style-cider","wine_style-dry-red-wines","wine_style-dry-white-wines","wine_style-port-wines","wine_style-red-wine-blends","wine_style-unoaked-chardonnay","wine_style-white-wine-blends"],"acf":{"featured":false,"featured_order":"","content_title":"Yadkin Valley, North Carolina","logo":false,"website_url":"http:\/\/www.mcritchiewine.com\/index.html","established_year":"2004","head_wine_maker":"Sean McRitchie","hours_of_operation":"Wednesday-Saturday, 10-5; Sunday, 1-5","yelp_id":"","contact_name":"Patricia McRitchie","phone_number":"(336) 874-3003","email_address":"info@mcritchiewine.com","region":{"ID":7626,"post_author":"3","post_date":"2019-05-18 19:09:10","post_date_gmt":"2019-05-18 19:09:10","post_content":"","post_title":"Yadkin Valley","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"draft","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"yadkin-valley","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-08-23 22:04:27","post_modified_gmt":"2022-08-24 02:04:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.winetraveler.com\/?post_type=wine_region&p=7626","menu_order":0,"post_type":"wine_region","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},"sub_region":{"term_id":1616,"name":"Surry County","slug":"surry-county","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1616,"taxonomy":"sub_region","description":"","parent":0,"count":0,"filter":"raw"},"address_1":"315 Thurmond Post Office Road","address_2":"","country":{"ID":418,"post_author":"12","post_date":"2017-10-30 21:41:59","post_date_gmt":"2017-10-30 21:41:59","post_content":"","post_title":"United States","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"united-states","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2017-10-30 21:41:59","post_modified_gmt":"2017-10-30 21:41:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.winetraveler.com\/?post_type=country&p=418","menu_order":0,"post_type":"country","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},"state":{"ID":7627,"post_author":"3","post_date":"2019-05-18 19:10:48","post_date_gmt":"2019-05-18 19:10:48","post_content":"","post_title":"North Carolina","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"north-carolina","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2019-05-18 19:10:48","post_modified_gmt":"2019-05-18 19:10:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.winetraveler.com\/?post_type=state&p=7627","menu_order":0,"post_type":"state","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},"city":"Thurman","postal_code":"28682","lat":"36.36836","lng":"-80.948671","place_id":"ChIJkTxHqo6EUYgR4OH_6JiQ0hY","tasting_details":"Wine tasting experiences are available at McRitchie Winery & Ciderworks.","tasting_price":"$$","tour_details":"","tour_price":"","reservations_required":false,"reservation_details":"","gallery":false,"grapes":[{"ID":1874,"post_author":"3","post_date":"2018-03-08 16:52:07","post_date_gmt":"2018-03-08 16:52:07","post_content":"\n

Editor's Note:<\/strong> Winetraveler is a reader-supported publication and this article may contain affiliate links. We review and recommend all products independently. When you buy wine through our site, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chardonnay is a white wine grape variety native to Burgundy, France. It\u2019s currently the most popular white wine grape variety in the world and can have a diverse flavor profile depending on where it\u2019s grown and if oak is used during the aging process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

<\/a>What Does Chardonnay Taste Like?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chardonnay can be lean and acidic or rich and buttery depending on a variety of terroir and vinification conditions. In general, it can be leaner and brighter when it\u2019s from cooler regions like Burgundy<\/strong> and richer and more fruit-forward when it\u2019s from hotter regions like Napa<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Classic notes that can be found in Chardonnays are apple, pear, lemon, apricot, ginger, melon, papaya, and white floral notes. When it\u2019s aged in oak or undergoes malolactic fermentation, there can also be buttery-toasty notes, which can sometimes be confused with flavors inherently found in the grape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, the heavy-handed use of oak led some wine drinkers to abandon Chardonnay altogether, which is a shame since it shows beautifully when the oak notes are well integrated. Fermenting and aging in steel tanks can elicit the purer notes inherent to Chardonnay without intrusive oak notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Chardonnay<\/a>
Aerial perspective of Chardonnay vines in Burgundy, France.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Chardonnay Food Pairings<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to pairings, think about the weight of the dish and the weight of the wine. Those brighter, more acidic Chardonnays work beautifully with seafood, including firm white fish, salmon, lobster, mussels, and shrimp. Avoid overly spicy sauces that overpower the fruit of the wine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richer Chardonnays also work well with poultry and pork, particularly those with creamy or buttery sauces. Chardonnay also loves pasta dishes like alfredo or primavera. Due to the apple notes of richer Chardonnays, it pairs naturally with autumnal produce like roasted pumpkin and Brussel sprouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Climate and Terroir for Chardonnay<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chardonnay hails from the Burgundy region of France<\/a><\/strong>, where it is arguably still at its finest. The limestone-rich soil with fossil deposits lends the distinctive minerality that can be found in white Burgundies, particularly Chablis<\/a><\/strong>. Chardonnay is one of the grapes that make up sparkling wines in neighboring Champagne<\/a><\/strong> and can be found in small plantings in other regions of France like the Loire Valley<\/a><\/strong>. It also can work well in Italy<\/a><\/strong> because it can thrive in a variety of climates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outside of Europe, Chardonnay has flourished in California<\/strong>, particularly in Sonoma<\/a><\/strong> and Santa Barbara County<\/strong>. It also has worked well in New York State, both on Long Island<\/a><\/strong> and along the Niagara Escarpment<\/a><\/strong>, and throughout Oregon<\/a><\/strong> and Washington<\/a><\/strong>. Chile<\/a><\/strong> and Argentina<\/a><\/strong> have also produced some lovely examples on Chardonnay, though they do tend to be on the more buttery side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>How is Chardonnay Aged? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Because of its naturally high acidity, Chardonnay is very age-worthy, particularly when it\u2019s from cooler regions that help maintain the higher acidity levels. As it ages, that zippy acidity breaks down and evolves into softer, more nuanced wines. Though commonly aged in oak, it\u2019s not necessary to do so because steel tanks or stone cisterns allow the wine to age without imparting an oak influence. When aged in oak, newer oak will have the strongest influence while older barrels will soften the wine and impart a more subtle oak flavor (if detectable at all).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best Chardonnays can age for decades, as can the best Champagnes. Most inexpensive Chardonnays are meant to be enjoyed more immediately, though even they can age a bit if the acidity levels are high enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Recommended Chardonnay Wines to Buy Online from Around the World <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n