Chardonnay
Despite the best efforts of the TV drama Footballers' Wives, Chardonnay is not the name of a waif-thin bit of fluff on a footballer's cuff, but rather the name of the big daddy of white grape varieties. There is virtually nowhere on this planet that it isn't planted - certainly nowhere that has grapes as one of its major crops - and it's the variety at the source of some of the world's greatest wines. The majority of great white Burgundy is made from Chardonnay; Chablis is exclusively Chardonnay; Champagne uses Chardonnay as one of its principal varieties; Chile made its name with Chardonnay; some of California's most expensive and sought-after wines are made from Chardonnay; Italy, especially in the north, makes superb wines with Chardonnay; England plants it with some success; even the normally neutral Swiss are big fans of the grape - and the list goes on and on.
Why is it so dominant? Well, probably its versatility has something to do with it. It takes to most climates, produces a half-decent wine in most regions and gives even the laziest of winemakers a relatively easy time, if they want it. More importantly, though, its homeland, Burgundy, has forged its reputation as the grape behind one of the finest wines in the world-so it's no surprise that many other winemakers across the globe want to get in on the act and emulate such greatness.
What's also wonderful about the grape is that, because it has such a diversity of sources, there is an infinite variety of styles. It can be wooded or unwooded, depending on the winemaker's preference of the quality being produced, Chablis being the perfect example of an unwooded Chardonnay. If it comes from the New World (Australia, New Zealand , South Africa etc.), it could be more tropical in terms of fruit flavours - lots of pineapple and mango. If it comes from the Old World (e.g. Burgundy, Italy, Spain), it tends to display the more classic citrus fruit flavours of lemon and lime. And that means you could literally spend the majority of your years working your way through Chardonnay and still keep on turning up new and exciting versions. The downside of that, of course, is that you'll also have to work your way through quite a few duff ones while you're at it.
Pronunciation: Shar-dun-ay.
Where do I find it? Everywhere.
What does it taste like? Chardonnay can run the gamut from lemon and lime citrus fruit through to a full range of tropical flavours, from pineapple through mango and guava, depending on where it's from. Old World tends towards the former, New World towards the latter.
Tell me something I didn't know: For a long time Chardonnay was mistaken for a white bastardisation of Pinot Noir. Also, it's so far spread in wine-growing terms that you can even find examples from both the Lebanon and Israel. Not that you necessarily want to, but if the mood takes you...
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