Do you prefer to go naked?

This post is written by guest blogger and wine aficionado Jim Hutchings.

At Vynecrest Winery’s first Chardonnay Weekend event last weekend, they had two versions of their new Chardonnay: oaked and un-oaked (also called naked Chardonnay). Events like this showcase the versatility of grapes and how such different results can come from a single grape.

The winemakers at each winery craft their wine in different fashions, leaving more residual sugar in the final product or letting it ferment more fully to create a drier wine. We see this with Riesling, Vidal, and Chambourcin at many of the wineries.

A difference in sugar levels makes wildly different wines from the same grape, but so does the introduction of oak to the wine-making process. The addition of oak to a white wine makes a completely different wine.

Personally, I prefer an oaked Chardonnay because of the toasty, buttery taste. This is in stark contrast to the crisp, more fruit-forward unoaked Chardonnay. Naked Chardonnay is still delicious, but with unoaked dry Riesling, Vidal, Seyval, Grüner Veltliner, and Pinot Gris wines on the trail, I particularly enjoy how an oaked Chardonnay stands out from the pack.

What are your tastes?

Join Vynecrest for its first Chardonnay Weekend event

Vynecrest Winery in Breinigsville recently released their first vintage of oaked Chardonnay. They've also just released a very limited amount of unoaked or "naked" Chardonnay.

To celebrate, they've created Chardonnay Weekend on Saturday, June 5 & Sunday, June 6 from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. There will be tastings of both Chardonnays along with a food pairing of Lemon-Chardonnay Goat Cheese from StoneCroft Farms in Macungie. Both the oaked and naked Chardonnays will be available for purchase all weekend. Wine lovers can vote on which one they like best and be entered into to a raffle to win a free night's stay at the Hyatt Place Bethlehem.

StoneCroft Farms is a local producer of goat cheese and a fellow member of the Buy Fresh Buy Local initiative. Their cheese is sold locally in only a few choice restaurants and markets. So be sure to drop in to Vynecrest for samples and the opportunity to buy some Lemon-Chardonnay, Dill and Garlic-Chive StoneCroft Farms cheese and the two Vynecrest Chardonnay wines.

There will also be live music in the Vyneskeller Wine Bar from 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. both days. On Saturday is Arianne Rox and on Sunday is Art Tartara.

Chardonnay Weekend is free to attend and open to the public. For directions and more information, visit www.vynecrest.com or call 610-398-7525.