Chardonnay – The Most Popular White Wine

Chardonnay is one of the most popular types of white wine throughout the world. This wine has a variety of different flavors and aromas, all depending upon where it was made and what processing methods were used.  Chardonnay wine is popular throughout Europe, Australia and the USA.

Chardonnay originated from the Champagne and Burgundy area of France.  Chardonnay grapes are green color in appearance and will have thick skins.  The grape was originally derived from Pinot and Croatian Blanc grape, which are now extinct.  The vanilla flavor that the wine is well-known for comes from being aged using oak barrels.  The longer the wine is allowed to age, the more the flavor improves, although this wine won’t age quite as long as a fine red wine might.

There are basically two distinct flavors of Chardonnay: oaked and unoaked. As mentioned, oaked Chardonnay has richer, sweet vanilla, spice and toasty flavors picked up from aging in oak barrels. Unoaked Chardonnay is aged in stainless steel vats and has lighter and crisper flavor.

This wine was once known only to the people of Europe, but as the wine started to spread to other parts of the world, more wine makers discovered Chardonnay grapes.  For that reason, Chardonnay grapes are now found growing in South Africa and other areas as well.  The most preferred white wines are American and French Chardonnay.

California Chardonnay has grown in both quality and popularity to the point where it rivals French Chardonnay. California now grows more Chardonnay grapes than any other variety. Most of the state’s grapes are grown in the Central Valley, where grapes grow fast due to ideal conditions, but some of the more interesting Chardonnays are grown in Sonoma where the climate is cooler.

Chardonnay wine goes well with many type of dishes that contain butter and cheese.  Since they have more acid content with a distinct sweetness, Chardonnay wines work well with seafood too.  There are many foods that go well with Chardonnay with and that is the reason for its popularity–especially in Italian and seafood restaurants.

The Chardonnay grapes are not limited to making wine. They can be used to make Champagne and other types of sparkling wines.  The sweet flavor and aroma makes them popular for the production of sparkling wines. So there are many uses for Chardonnay grapes.

The next time you go shopping for wine, try a nice Chardonnay.  Enjoy it with your friends or just yourself.  They can be found at any wine or alcohol store.  Beside making a good wine for drinking, they can also be a great addition to your wine collection.