Recently I've been drinking more Chardonnay. I wrote an article for a magazine about it and the "anything but Chardonnay" phenomenon. Was I one of the sheep who avoided Chardonnay because of one style in particular, the butter bomb? Yes, I think I might have been.

All the sommeliers I interviewed were big fans of Chardonnay, but were very particular about the ones they liked. They told me about the regions they favored--which ranged from France to Chile and South Africa. The Russian River came up in conversation quite a bit as a preferred region. I think of Russian River and Pinot Noir, but it's also known for Chardonnay and even Zinfandel. They talked about minerality and a balance of acidity with structure. Chardonnay is the number one selling varietal in the world, it grows in lots of places and can be made in a very wide range of styles. Not just overly oaky.

It's easy to see why Jordan wines are so popular on restaurant lists, they are elegant. Jordan 2011 Chardonnay Russian River Valley has bright acidity and a long dry finish, I like the granny smith apple aromas but also the lemony flavor and slightly creamy texture. It paired well with local king salmon, cutting through the richness of the fish, but complementing it at the same time. It retails for $30, and I received it as a review sample.