Review: Dolly Parton's Chardonnay Makes Us Want More Of Where That Came From

Like any human with a heart, a brain, and good taste, I love Dolly Parton, who in my opinion is one of the greatest human beings to ever grace this planet. I also love wine, so much so that I've spent the last decade studying it and devoting my professional life to it. So, when Dolly announced that she was releasing a collection of wines under her own label, Dolly Wines, I was intrigued. I was also a bit worried — many celebrity products in the beverage space are less than stellar, and I didn't want to have my sparkling image of Dolly diminished by a subpar project with her name on it.

The legend Dolly Parton is a powerhouse not just in the music world, which she's dominated for decades as a performer and world-class songwriter. She also runs an empire of resorts, has penned multiple books, and has donated even more of them to children through Imagination Library, one of her many philanthropic pursuits. With all of this widespread success, was I a fool to doubt that her wine would follow suit? I got my hands on Dolly's Chardonnay, the first wine of hers to be released in the U.S., to find out.

Some recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer/distributor/etc.

Dolly Wines Chardonnay can be found at many major national grocery stores and wine retailers, including Kroger, H-E-B, and Total Wine & More. It can also be purchased online through Vivino. It retails at $14.99 per bottle, although pricing may vary by store and region. 

In addition to the Chardonnay, Dolly Wines produces a Prosecco and a rosé, which are currently only available in the U.K., but should see wider distribution in the near future.

In the glass, Dolly Chardonnay is a bright, light golden color, which I took as a good sign — Chardonnays that have a deeper, more saturated hue can be overly extracted or excessively oaky, or both. Right from the start, this wine doesn't hit you over the head, which is one of its most appealing qualities. As it warms up a bit in the glass, the aromas become more pronounced, but maintain their subtlety. Once you swirl it around and get your nose in there, you can pick up some lovely floral notes like honeysuckle and apple blossom, fresh lemon zest, orchard fruits like apple, pear, and peach, and a hint of vanilla to denote the presence of oak.

On the palate, this Chardonnay is impressively balanced. The alcohol here is relatively low, labeled at 12.5% alcohol by volume, which is in line with the lightness and brightness of the flavors. The aromas I picked up are all present as flavors on the palate, along with a tropical pineapple note that shows up as the wine unfolds, and a nuttiness like sweet pecans. Though there are lots of sweet, fruity flavors, the wine itself is nice and dry, finishing crisply with a pop of tart, juicy lemon. The finish doesn't linger very long, but that's fine — this wine isn't necessarily made in a style that you need to take your time with and savor. I'd happily crack a bottle of this open on a sunny, warm afternoon and toss a few glasses back with friends.

Good Chardonnay at this price point can be hard to find, and I think Dolly hit the mark here with this wine. It has enough oak notes to please fans of the typical California style of this grape variety, while the light texture and bright acidity will be appealing to folks who enjoy crisper white wines. I tried it over the course of several days, and refrigerated under screw cap, the wine held up well, not losing much in the way of flavor or structure. 

I had a lot of fun pairing Dolly Chardonnay with food, too — it was delightful with buttery shrimp linguine, and quite nice with herb roasted chicken. I can imagine it going well with lots of Southern dishes, maybe even Dolly's favorite, banana pudding. An intrepid, culinary-minded Dolly fan could surely find many great pairings for this Chardonnay in Dolly Parton's cookbook, "Good Lookin' Cookin'," which she wrote with her sister, Rachel.

Whether you're a Dolly fan, Chardonnay fan, both, or are just looking for a nice affordable white wine that's an easy palate-pleaser, Dolly Chardonnay is a good buy. After a few glasses, you might find yourself putting on a Dolly playlist and belting along with some of her many genre-spanning tunes (or maybe that's just me). This Chardonnay is versatile enough to enjoy in the light of a clear blue morning or at evening shade, or any time in between.