There are certainly exceptions, some notable, but it is more than fair to say in a rather sweeping generalization that California chardonnays are devoted to a rich, fat, buttery style, with a heavy-handed use of oak barrel aging, resulting in awine best enjoyed on its own or at cocktail parties, usually deep golden in color.
For Mintz, a 39-year-old accountant and former chief executive ofa cooperage (wine-barrel-making business) and Twelftree, 38, with a background in construction and small-scale wine exporting, the change is music to their ears.