STARMONT Chardonnay Carneros is a skinny summer sipper with aromas of honeysuckle opening mid-palate to subtle flavors of white peach and pineapple.

ALTHOUGH MY HEART beats for the stars and stripes, I must admit the French have an amazing understanding of fashion, food and wine.

CALL ME SENTIMENTAL, but I like the soft, tender sounds of soul music and the big, bold, buttery chardonnays of years past.

FOR UNPARALLELED beauty, travel Florida’s Highway 1 to Key West, California’s Route 1 through Big Sur or Louisiana’s River Road past historic plantations.

California Chardonnay chronicled its first major milestone in 1976, when a Napa chard won first place at The Judgment of Paris, a premier international blind tasting competition.

Thanks to the Millennials’ ABC (Anything but Chardonnay) philosophy, last decade’s NBC (Nothing but Chardonnay) oak-choke style has morphed into a more vibrant, modest-oak kind of Chardonnay.

Landmark breathes aromas of lemongrass and butterscotch, leading to flavors of puff pastry and ripe yellow apple with hints of Tuscan melon and savory citrus zest that highlight the finish.  

More than medium-bodied and infused with candied lemon/lime zest, Montrachet ends strong and long with a honeyed poached pear kiss. Such elusive flavors are part of the mystery of the 200-year-old winery.

This California chardonnay begins on the nose where marzipan meets aromas of almond croissant. Flavors of fresh Georgia peach and Tahitian vanilla bean unfold on the palate to meet ripe tropical fruits backed with key lime zest.