A white (green-skinned) grape variety which originated in Bourgogne in France. It is now widely grown in most of the world’s wine regions and is often considered the world’s most versatile white wine grape. Unlike many grapes, it is quite flexible about the climate in which it is grown, which results in different flavour profiles. Its versatility also means that winemakers have a lot of scope when it comes to winemaking techniques – and so may or may not use oak, lees contact, malolactic fermentation …
The Chardonnays of Bourgogne are some of the world’s most expensive and sought after examples. In addition, Chardonnay is important in Champagne and premium sparkling wines the world over.
