The rebirth of cool is kicked off today in Niagara, as the world’s top cool climate chardonnay producers gather together with wine lovers to celebrate the grape.
2024 is the 15th Anniversary of the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (i4C)
Since 2011, 271 + wineries have participated, from 85 cool climate wine regions and over 1168 different Cool Climate Chardonnays and Sparkling/Blanc de Blancs have been poured. Some 66 wineries are from Ontario alone.
There’ll be tastings, brunches, dinners and fun events such as “Flights” of Chardonnay at the Niagara airport, The School of Cool and do other crazy things to reaffirm their love of this style of chard.
So why don’t you re-frame that nasty acronym “Anything but Chardonnay” (ABC) to All Beloved Chardonnay?
From altitude to attitude, what are the 5 elements of “cool”?
altitude
latitude
maritime influence
climate
winemaking style (I’ve re-dubbed this attitude ;)
Still need a reason to love cool climate chardonnay? Here are 3 of them:
1. Acid Tripping: Cool Chardonnay offers racy, mouth-watering acidity that refreshes the parts that other wines cannot reach.
2. Mineral Mining: Trying to figure out what minerality tastes (or feels) like? Pour yourself a glass of cool Chardonnay and let your taste buds dig it.
3. Trend Bucking: When they go high (climate), we go low. Thrill on the chill.
The Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (i4C) runs July 18 to 21, 2024.
Saturday tasting events at various wineries and the fancy evening gala entitled Cool Chardonnay World Tour and Dinner at Ridley College, with both cool chardonnays and cool-climate red wines like Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Gamay Noir.
For those who don’t sleep in, Sunday offers the Moveable Feast brunch at Ravine Vineyard in Niagara-on-the-Lake as well as three-course brunch at Redstone Winery.
Up to 2,500 guests annually, including 30+ media guests and 40+ local and international sommeliers.
