Chardonnay

20 May
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Categories: Grape variety

Chardonnay (Wikipedia)
Chardonnay (UK: /ˈʃɑːrdəneɪ/, US: /ˌʃɑːrdənˈeɪ/, French: [ʃaʁdɔnɛ] (listen)) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new and developing wine regions, growing Chardonnay is seen as a ‘rite of passage’ and an easy entry into the international wine market.

Related Articles:
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    This aromatic wine is produced from 90% Temjanika selected late-harvested berries and 10% Chardonnay grapes. The uniqueness of this wine comes from 12 months of extended contact on fine lees i.e. “Sur lie” method from which we get the structure and the body of the wines.  The aroma is remarkable, with a sweet intensity and notes of peach and dry apricot, complemented with discreet floral hints. The palate is rich and full-bodied, with delicately balanced acidity and sweetness.
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Chardonnay (Wikipedia)
This article is about the grape variety. For the village in France, see Chardonnay, Saône-et-Loire.
"Moreau blanc" redirects here. For another French wine grape that is also known as Moreau blanc, see Gouais blanc.
"Gentil blanc" redirects here. For another wine grape that is also known as Gentil blanc, see Chasselas.
"Auvernat blanc" redirects here. For another wine grape that is also known as Auvernat blanc and shares several other synonyms with Chardonnay, see Savagnin.

Chardonnay (UK: /ˈʃɑːrdəneɪ/, US: /ˌʃɑːrdənˈeɪ/, French: [ʃaʁdɔnɛ] (listen)) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new and developing wine regions, growing Chardonnay is seen as a 'rite of passage' and an easy entry into the international wine market.

Chardonnay
Grape (Vitis)
Chardonnay.jpg
Chardonnay grapes
Color of berry skinWhite
Also calledAubaine, Beaunois, Gamay blanc, Melon blanc (more)
Notable regionsWorldwide
Notable winesChablis, white Burgundy, Champagne, Italian Franciacorta
Ideal soilChalk, limestone
HazardsMillerandage, powdery mildew, frost and coulure
VIVC number2455
Wine characteristics
Cool climateLean, crisp, high acidity
Medium climateHoney, tropical fruit

The Chardonnay grape itself is neutral, with many of the flavors commonly associated with the wine being derived from such influences as terroir and oak. It is vinified in many different styles, from the lean, crisply mineral wines of Chablis, France, to New World wines with oak and tropical fruit flavors. In cool climates (such as Chablis and the Carneros AVA of California), Chardonnay wine tends to be medium to light body with noticeable acidity and flavors of green plum, apple, and pear. In warmer locations (such as the Adelaide Hills and Mornington Peninsula in Australia and Gisborne and Marlborough region of New Zealand), the flavors become more citrus, peach, and melon, while in very warm locations (such as the Central Coast AVA of California), more fig and tropical fruit notes such as banana and mango come out. Wines that have gone through malolactic fermentation tend to have softer acidity and fruit flavors with buttery mouthfeel and hazelnut notes.

Chardonnay is an important component of many sparkling wines around the world, including Champagne and Franciacorta in Italy. Chardonnay's popularity peaked in the late 1980s, then gave way to a backlash among those wine connoisseurs who saw the grape as a leading negative component of the globalization of wine. Nonetheless, it is one of the most widely planted grape varieties, with 210,000 hectares (520,000 acres) worldwide, second only to Airén among white wine grapes and fifth among all wine grapes.

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