Growing up, I would hear stories from my parents about when they were dating. They reminisced about glorious sun-filled days drinking wine at the Robert Mondavi Winery while eating a picnic of crusty bread, fresh cracked crab, and crumbly aged cheese. It always sounded so romantic, so idyllic, so mouthwatering!

When I was finally of age, I convinced my boyfriend at the time that we needed to go to Napa. It was as wonderful as it sounded, and the Robert Mondavi Winery stood as a glorious backdrop to this region with its California Mission style architecture, complete with bell tower.

I think of Robert Mondavi Chardonnay as the classic California Chard. With a blend of 80% of the juice aged and fermented in New French Oak for 11 months, while 20% of it was in stainless steel. This is definitely an “oaky Chardonnay,” but it is also refined.

Golden in tone, it had aromas of ripe pears and juicy pineapple. It tasted of lemon zest, with clean tropical fruit flavors, and a creamy texture. Paired with a lively chicken tikka masala, this Chardonnay opened up and had notes of toasted marshmallow and grilled peach.

Founded in 1966, Robert Mondavi has practiced sustainable wine-growing from the beginning. They are so committed to their role in sustainable practices, that they partnered with the Napa Resource Conservation District to form the Napa Sustainable Winemaking Group (NSWG) to help educated others in sustainable farming, water conservation, and other progressive methods to practice environmental responsibility.