Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/552044
84 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 84 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 84 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 N owhere are winemakers' differing opinions more evident than in discussing oak's role in Chardonnay. Moderated by Master Sommelier Brian McClintic of Santa Barbara's Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchant, the panel "To Oak Or Not To Oak?" included both venerated and rising stars in the Chardonnay galaxy to discuss the relationship between oak and the world's most beloved white grape. "I think, of all the varieties, Chardonnay is prob- ably the best at handling oak and being able to express its innate characteristics and terroir with striking clarity," said McClintic. "We use nothing but new French oak," said Ray Brown of Clos de Chacras in Mendoza, Argentina. "I have drunk a lot of Chardonnays in my life—I like to think of myself as a Chardonnay connoisseur— OUR REPORT ON THE INTERNATIONAL CHARDONNAY SYMPOSIUM photos by Jeremy Ball onvening in the stunning cities of Pismo Beach and Avila Beach, the International Chardonnay Symposium, co-hosted by The SOMM Journal, was a three-day immersion of winemakers, sommeliers and Chardonnay enthusiasts who shared their passion for this white grape through educational seminars, grand tastings and sumptuous dinners. THE SOMM JOURNAL PANELS To Oak or Not to Oak? That Is the (Loaded) Question by Jaime Lewis IN CELEBRATION IN CELEBRATION