Chardonnay Elegance Puglia IGP Italian White Wine 75cl

If you’re looking for a Chardonnay Puglia wine that’s fruity, fresh and easy to enjoy, Chardonnay Elegance is a very good place to start.

Made by Cantine Mediterranee using 100% Chardonnay grapes from Puglia in southern Italy, it has a pale yellow colour with subtle greenish tones, an intensely fruity aroma and a fresh, soft and delicate character on the palate.

At 12.5% ABV, it has enough presence to work properly with food without feeling heavy. It’s particularly good with seafood and grilled fish, but it’s also a useful bottle to have around for aperitivo, antipasti, cured meats and cheese.

What’s this Chardonnay Puglia actually like?

The producer describes this Chardonnay as full and intense, but also fresh, soft and delicate. That combination is probably the most useful way to think about it.

There’s plenty of fruit coming through on the nose, while the wine itself has a softer, balanced feel rather than being all about sharpness or intensity.

It’s the sort of white wine you can put on the table with dinner, but it doesn’t need food to make sense. Chill it, open it before a meal and it works perfectly well as a glass of wine on its own.

We haven’t added descriptions such as buttery, oaky, mineral or bone dry because we don’t have enough information from the producer to say those things confidently. We would rather describe the wine as it actually is than fill the page with wine terminology that may not apply.

What should I eat with this Chardonnay Puglia?

Seafood is the obvious starting point.

The producer particularly recommends Chardonnay Elegance with seafood in general and especially with grilled seafood. That makes it a natural choice for grilled sea bass, sea bream, prawns, calamari, squid, shellfish and seafood pasta.

It should also work very nicely with an Italian antipasti board. Think prosciutto, salami and other cured meats alongside olives, bread and cheese.

Cheese is also specifically recommended, so this is a handy bottle if you’re putting together a sharing board rather than cooking a full meal.

It also makes a good aperitivo wine. If you’re having people over and want something chilled to open while everyone is arriving and picking at food, this is exactly the sort of wine that works.

When would we choose it?

We’d look at Chardonnay Elegance when you want a versatile Italian white rather than something that needs a very particular occasion.

It makes sense for a summer lunch, seafood dinner, barbecue with grilled fish, antipasti evening, cheese and charcuterie board or simply a chilled glass before dinner.

It’s also worth considering if you already know that you enjoy Chardonnay but fancy trying an Italian example from Puglia rather than automatically reaching for a French, Australian or Californian bottle.

How to serve it

Serve Chardonnay Elegance chilled at around 10–12°C.

There’s no need to overthink the glassware either. A normal white wine glass will do the job perfectly well.

We wouldn’t serve it absolutely freezing. The recommended temperature gives the wine enough chill to stay fresh while still allowing the fruit and aroma to come through.

About the producer

Cantine Mediterranee is the producer behind Chardonnay Elegance, and this wine sits within its Linea Elegance range.

For this bottle, the focus is very straightforward: Chardonnay grown in Puglia, made as a varietal wine using 100% Chardonnay.

That matters because this isn’t a white blend where Chardonnay is simply one part of the recipe. If you’re buying it because you specifically want Chardonnay, that is exactly what you’re getting.

Where does this Chardonnay Puglia come from?

This wine comes from Puglia in southern Italy and carries the Puglia IGP designation.

The IGP designation identifies the wine with its geographical origin in Puglia. For the person buying the bottle, the important information is simple: this is an Italian Chardonnay from Puglia rather than Chardonnay made elsewhere and bottled under a generic name.

The important bits

• Producer: Cantine Mediterranee
• Range: Linea Elegance
• Wine: Chardonnay Elegance
• Type: White wine
• Grape: 100% Chardonnay
• Country: Italy
• Region: Puglia
• Classification: Puglia IGP
• Alcohol: 12.5% ABV
• Colour: Pale yellow with greenish hues
• Aroma: Intensely fruity
• Taste: Full, fresh, soft and delicate
• Overall style: Fruity and nicely balanced
• Serve at: 10–12°C
• Food pairing: Seafood, particularly grilled seafood, aperitifs, cured meats and cheeses

Our quick take

Chardonnay Elegance is a fruity, fresh and softer-style Italian Chardonnay that’s particularly easy to match with food.

If you’re having seafood, grilled fish, antipasti or a cheese and charcuterie board, it’s an easy bottle to reach for. And because it’s 100% Chardonnay, it’s also a straightforward choice for anyone who already knows the grape they enjoy but wants to try an expression from Puglia.