Chardonnay 2025

$29.95

French toast | Butter | Tropical fruit | Dry

Chardonnay 2025 is a small-lot, barrel-fermented Ontario Chardonnay from Foreign Affair Winery in the Niagara Peninsula VQA — 250 cases, vegan, 12.3% ABV. The wine is fermented and aged for 8 months in 100% French oak (60% new) on the lees, producing a full-bodied white with high aromatic intensity, butter and toast notes, tropical fruit, and a long, oak- and acid-coated finish. Made for the dinner table — pair with roast chicken, carbonara, or Alfredo.

Tech Specs

ABV 12.3%
Vintage 2024
Varietal Chardonnay
Harvest Date September 22, 2025
ph 3.4
Residual sugar 2.3g/L

Tasting notes

Highly aromatic, french toast, butter, white florals, papaya, tropical fruit. Butter carries through with graphite and chalky minerality. Dry, with good acid intensity rounded by oak; a delicate white tannin reads as chalk on the mid-palate. A full-bodied white, food-friendly palate with Niagara's signature freshness and a clean finish.

Food pairing

Roast chicken, chicken Kiev with brown butter, carbonara pasta, alfredo pasta, yellow lentil daal.

Vineyard notes

The growing season in Niagara started with a mild winter and no spring frost events, with no significant vine damage reported. Spring was warmer than usual, prompting some growers to report an early start to the season, up to a week ahead of normal. Niagara’s summer was marked by above-average temperatures, with warm days and warmer-than-usual evenings. The region experienced a reduced diurnal temperature range, but this resulted in intense flavours and colour development in the grapes. Veraison occurred up to five days earlier than usual for some varieties. The harvest season was favorable, with warm September temperatures and some humidity linked to extreme weather events. Despite some disease risk, especially for white varieties, growers who waited for their red varieties saw exceptional ripeness and good acid balance, reminiscent of the excellent 2020 vintage. October brought three days of rain, but overall, the season was dry. Storms were rare, and many growers reported that rain events forecasted by weather networks did not materialize in Wine Country.

Winemaker notes

More austere and delicate than previous vintage, whilst the tropical notes are there, they are layered with a finer oak instensity.