Chardonnay

Oaked Chardonnay ages in oak barrels, picking up vanilla, butter and toast for a full, creamy style. Unoaked ferments in stainless steel and stays crisp and citrusy — closer to a Pinot Grigio. Same grape, two completely different wines.

Malolactic fermentation. It converts the wine's sharp malic acid into softer lactic acid — the same compound that makes butter taste buttery — and oak aging adds vanilla and toast on top.

Almost all Chardonnay is made dry. Oaked versions can seem sweeter because vanilla and butterscotch read as sweetness, but there's little actual residual sugar.

Match the style: oaked Chardonnay loves butter and cream — lobster, roast chicken, creamy pasta. Unoaked suits lighter fare like salads, shellfish and goat cheese.