Chardonnay is to white wine as Cabernet Sauvignon is to red wine. Chardonnay is a very versatile and popular grape that is planted in both warm and cool climates throughout the world with Burgundy’s Chablis, Macon, Pouilly-Fuisse, Montrachet, Meursault and Corton-Charlemagne regions setting the bar for Chardonnay producers. Chardonnay’s delicacy results in a wide variety of styles based on climate and soils and on winemaking practices such as barrel fermentation, sur lie aging and malolactic fermentation. Chardonnay can range from a relatively light, crisp, mineral dominated wine to a full-bodied, rich and buttery wine. Although Chardonnay can be grown in warm climate areas, it excels in cool climates.

One of Chardonnay’s commercial strengths is its ability to easily produce rich, full bodied, fruit-forward wines. While the best of these wines can be amazing, there is also a vast supply of non-descript, generic – though usually pleasant tasting - Chardonnay wines. Poor quality grapes with excessive oak can result in fat, bland wines that display little more than butter and vanilla flavors. On the opposite end, non-oaked Chardonnay’s generally lack the depth, complexity and richness that most wine drinkers find appealing. With such a wide selection of flavor profiles, it is almost impossible not to be able to find a Chardonnay that suits your palate.

Top Chardonnay Regions: