Lumen - 'Hey Ginger White' - Chardonnay, Ginger - Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County, CA - 2023

@lumenwinesheygingerwine

Notes from the Winery/Importer

Made from Chardonnay fruit from our own vineyards. Regeneratively farmed and certified organic. Stabilized with fresh, organic ginger root.

Notes on the Producer

Hey Ginger was discovered by a happy accident. Lumen Winemaker Lane Tanner discovered the powerful effects of ginger when she left a combination of wine & ginger in her fridge for months. Her winemaking partner, Will Henry, realized they may have stumbled upon a natural antioxidant that could be used in place of sulfites to protect the wine. Will's father, an icon in the industry, had always told his son that whoever found a natural alternative to sulfites would start a wine revolution. Hence Hey Ginger was born, a wine with only two ingredients: organic grapes and fresh ginger root. Viva la revolucion!

Grapes & Style

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is one of the great white grapes of Burgundy, and one of the most widely planted wine grapes in the world. It has a long history in eastern France, especially Burgundy and Champagne, and DNA work shows it as part of the same broad Pinot and Gouais Blanc family that gave us grapes like Gamay and Aligoté. It’s adaptable, easy enough to grow in many places, and capable of producing everything from simple everyday whites to some of the most ageworthy white wines in the world.

In the vineyard, Chardonnay buds and ripens relatively early, which makes it useful in cooler climates but vulnerable to spring frost. It tends to do especially well on limestone and calcareous clay, and its relatively neutral fruit profile gives site and cellar choices a lot of room to show. Malolactic fermentation, lees aging, barrel fermentation, and oak can all shape the final wine dramatically.

In the glass, Chardonnay can be lean, saline, and citrus-driven, or broad, textured, and orchard-fruited, depending on where it’s grown and how it’s made. Chablis shows the steely, high-acid side; the Côte de Beaune shows depth, texture, and savory complexity; Champagne shows its value as a sparkling-wine base. Good Chardonnay is less about one fixed flavor than about balance, texture, and the way it carries place.