“I like Chardonnay.”

That sounds like a pretty useful thing to know. Until someone pours you two Chardonnays and you love one—and wonder why anyone would voluntarily finish the other.

Same grape variety. Completely different wine.

One Chardonnay might be crisp, lean and refreshing, with bright acidity and flavors of citrus and green apple. Another might be rich, round and creamy, with ripe fruit, noticeable butter flavors and a much fuller feel in your mouth.

Both are Chardonnay. Both might be very well-made wines. Both might even receive similar scores from professional critics.

But they aren’t the same style of Chardonnay—and that distinction can matter far more to your enjoyment than the grape variety named on the bottle.

This is one of the central ideas behind BottleCru.

Most of us first learn about wine by grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a useful starting point. But it can also create a false sense that knowing the grape tells us what the wine will taste like.

It doesn’t.

Where the grapes were grown, the climate and growing conditions, how ripe they were when picked, how the wine was made, whether and how oak aging was used, and other decisions can transform the same grape variety into remarkably different wines.

Which explains something many wine drinkers have probably experienced:

“I thought I liked Chardonnay. Why don’t I like this Chardonnay?”

There’s nothing mysterious about it. You may love Chardonnay—just not that style of Chardonnay.

That’s why BottleCru asks a more useful question.

Not simply:

“Which grape varieties do you like?”

But:

“Which styles of wine made in those varieties do you like?”

That small change in the question can make a very big change in the answer.

Because once you understand your preferred wine styles, you aren’t simply looking for a wine made from that grape. You’re looking for a wine made from that grape that gives you the experience you enjoy.

And suddenly those shelves full of seemingly similar bottles begin to make considerably more sense.

The grape variety tells you where to start.

The wine style gets you much closer to what you’ll actually love.

And isn’t that the point?

Nobody ever finished a disappointing bottle of Chardonnay and thought:

“Well, at least I picked the right grape.”

BottleCru™. Discover your styles. Savor your wines.