Raven's Glenn is a Coshocton County, Ohio winery and restaurant located along the Three Rivers Wine Trail. I had the opportunity to taste their Chardonel called "White October" at the recent Hudson Wine Festival in Hudson Ohio and was pleasantly surprised.
I have long been a fan of Ohio wines and wineries. I say this because the first reaction you get from most wine drinkers is that ALL Ohio wines are bad. That's just not true. The mistake most people make is to compare Ohio Cabs to California cabs and other Ohio reds to those from California, Washington and draw the conclusion that Ohio wines don't compare.
But if they were to compare Ohio varietals like Riesling, Gavertztraminer, and Chardonel they would find them not only comparable but superior in many cases.
That is why I enjoyed the 2009 Raven's Glenn "White October" Chardonel! It was crisp, fruity, Riesling -like in many ways, with pineapple, papaya, and a hint of vanilla that makes for the perfect summer sipper.
Chardonel is a hybrid grape varietal developed by Cornell University back in 1953. It is a hybrid of Chardonay and Seyval Blanc (sevat). It is called GW9 (Geneva White Nine) among researchers. It is a hearty variety that stands up to Ohio (and New York and Michigan) winters well has large fruit clusters and is a later harvest grape usually after the first of October. It would go well with chicken and fish, almost any pairing that you would enjoy with an "un-oaked Chardonnay or a fruity Riesling.
I give this one 90 points, although at 20 bucks it's a little pricey compared to some other vintners. It currently is available only at the winery and on line at Raven's Glenn's web site.
