Home >Wine Store >Michaud Chardonnay Chalone Vynd

Pineapple, lemon, sage, thyme, burnt almond, matchstick and salted butter.

Michaud wines are made in a style that reflects both the mineral characters of the soil and the dynamic climate. After earning a B.S. in Chemistry and moving on to the enology and viticulture department at U.C. Davis, Michael Michaud spent 19 years in winegrowing and winemaking at Chalone Vineyard and on his estate near the Chalone Vineyard ranch. In January of 1998, he left Chalone to pursue the development of the family-owned vineyard full-time. His passion is to produce wines that express the special qualities of the Chalone Appellation. It is a dry, mountainous region of Monterey County with a unique combination of soils and climate that have been recognized since the 1880s as being ideal for wine grapes. He does all of the winemaking and most of the farming himself and says getting his hands dirty and staying directly involved is the only way to be sure of quality.

This food-friendly wine is a nice complement to turkey, chicken, pheasant or Guinea hen. It will also work well with pork or veal, as well as most fish. For pasta dishes, lean towards choices with cream sauces or olive oil and parmesan, and with exotic mushrooms such as chanterelles. Poultry is an excellent choice; try my recipe for Chicken with Roast Lemon and Rosemary Sauce.

The Chalone Appellation was officially recognized in the early 1980s, but its grape growing history stretches back to the turn of the century. The Chalone bench, an undulating hilly plateau that extends to the north and west from North Chalone Peak, the highest Mountain in the Gabilan Mountain Range, is featured in John Steinbeck's " East of Eden."