Chardonnay

ABOUT CHARDONNAY

If there were such a thing as grape variety royalty, then Chardonnay would sit on the throne. Originating from a small village in Burgundy, France, it’s now the most widely planted variety in the world, seen in wine regions across USA, South Africa, all the way to New Zealand and beyond. Chardonnay has an almost timeless relevance in contemporary food and wine culture–its versatility both in the winery and on the dinner table means it can be used to create a wide variety of wine styles for an even wider variety of occasions. Though many think of Chardonnay and think of oak aged styles that are rich and full-bodied, it can also produce taut, chiselled wines that are begging to be paired with oysters. We can’t talk about Chardonnay wines without mentioning the premium end of the spectrum, including Grand Cru Chablis and even sparkling wines such as Blanc de Blancs (also known as Champagne). This malleability has earned Chardonnay the name ‘the winemaker’s grape’, as the wine it produces is heavily influenced by stylistic decisions made in the winery.