Full Pond is a youthful, crisp, dry white wine made from Chardonnay with a touch of Vidal Blanc blended in. Hints of melon, pear, and granny smith apple are present with a clean, crisp finish. A lovely, refreshing wine.
Favorite Pairings: sushi, broiled white fish, chicken salad, seafood salad
The numbers: 95% Chardonnay, 5% Vidal Blanc, 0.8% Residual Sugar
This unoaked Chardonnay began its life with us around 2005. We were often asked what oak aging does to the wine. Well, telling someone often brought furrowed brows and confused looks. In 2005 we crafted two Chardonnays allowing one to age with French oak calling it “Reserve”. Tasting room visitors loved tasting them side-by-side. A few years later, we decided the unoaked Chardonnay needed its own distinctive label and we chose to make it a nonvintage wine.
In 2012, we began planning for Smith Mountain Lake’s 50th anniversary. We crafted a red St. Emillion, Bordeaux-style blend and named it Sixty-Six, but one must have a white wine to celebrate with too! This is when the unoaked Chardonnay, a name Wendy was never completely satisfied with, morphed into Full Pond. With this version, Wendy blended a touch of Vidal Blanc, which gave it a slightly more intense aroma and crispness. This new version became even more popular, so when the 50th anniversary Full Pond sold out, we designed the current packaging and added a vintage designation keeping the recipe the same.