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:''For the town in France, see Chardonnay, Saône-et-Loire.''



'Chardonnay' is a green-skinned grape variety, used to make white wine. It is believed to be named after the village of Chardonnay in the Mâconnais region of France. DNA fingerprinting research at the University of California, Davis suggests that Chardonnay has originated as a cross between Pinot and the Croatian Gouais Blanc grape varieties. Gouais Blanc is not popular in its own right and is almost extinct. Chardonnay is also known by the names 'Aubaine', 'Beaunois', 'Melon Blanc' and 'Pinot Chardonnay'.
Chardonnay is also an important component in Champagne and there are some 100% Chardonnay Champagnes labeled ''blanc de blancs''. It is also used by sparkling wine producers.
The name is a derivative of Cardonnacum, a Latin language term to denote an area with thistles.

Contents

Chardonnay in France

Popularity

In Popular Culture

See also

External links

References

Chardonnay in France

Chardonnay is the primary white wine grape of the Bourgogne region of France.

Popularity

In Australia and New Zealand, Chardonnay varietal wines are among the most popular white wines. As of 2005, Chardonnay is the most widely planted grape in Australia. The trend has been for many regions in Australia and New Zealand to produce unblended Chardonnay wines rich in flavours of citrus and melon and temperate fruits, with or without the added complexity of oak. The trend has been away from the buttery flavoured Chardonnay wines which result from diacetyl produced by the use of malolactic fermenting bacteria. When blended in Australia and New Zealand the most common blending partner is Sémillon, and it often also partnered with Pinot Noir in sparkling wines.
Part of the attraction of Chardonnay, for wine makers and lovers alike, is its versatility. In the U.S., it is often made using full malolactic fermentation to soften the acidity and some oak handling. Without oak, Chardonnay generally produces a soft wine, often with fruity flavors. When aged with oak, Chardonnay can acquire a smokey, vanilla, caramel, and butter aroma. The origin of the oak - either French or American - will affect the final flavor, along with the degree to which any oak barrels were toasted. For budget wines, the oak is added as staves or even chips to stainless steel containers, which are much cheaper than oak barrels.
In 2001, Chardonnay stood eighth-ranked in global planting of grape varieties by area, with an estimated 140,000 hectares, mostly in the United States of America, France, Australia and Italy. Its popularity (and its vapidity, according to some) have caused a backlash from some wine lovers, who declare themselves interested in ''ABC'', or Anything But Chardonnay. Wine expert Oz Clarke noted that some wine drinkers view Chardonnay as ''"...the ruthless colonizer and destroyer of the world's vineyards and the world's palates."''^[1] This popularity led to a character in the British TV series Footballers' Wives being named Chardonnay.
In Canada's Niagara Peninsula Chardonnay is a popular white grape varietal. In this unique meso-climate the wines develop full sugar ripeness while naturally preserving the acidity. Crisp rich offerings come in un-oaked and barrel aged or fermented styles with some leading producers making Chardonnay and Pinot noir based traditional method sparkling wines. Key sub-appellations are the Short Hills Bench, 20 Mile Bench and Beamsville Bench.
The Walt Disney Company initially planned to market Ratatouille Chardonnay to tie in with the namesake film, but this idea was quickly abandoned out of fear that it would entice under-age drinking.

In Popular Culture

★ In the English series ''Footballers' Wives'', Susie Amy's character is named Chardonnay.

★ In Alanis Morissette's song 'Ironic', the line 'A black fly in your Chardonnay'

★ In the American series ''Desperate Housewives'', chardonnay is Bree Van De Kamp's favourite wine.

See also

★ Great Chardonnay Showdown

★ Judgment of Paris

★ Grand European Jury Wine Tasting of 1997

External links

★ Chardonnay Du Monde - website of an international Chardonnay competition.

★ Chardonnay Grape - Chardonnay Grape Information Page.

References

1. Oz Clarke ''The Encyclopedia of Grapes'' Websters International Publishers 2001, pg 191