Chardonnay – What Makes It the Most Popular White Wine?

 As you browse the selection of white wines anywhere, you are likely to come across the Chardonnay, which is made from a grape with the same name. However, every Chardonnay white wine will have its own unique character, depending on where the grape is produced and the winery that makes it. You are likely to find it in a range of styles, such as sparkling and lean Blanc de Blanc and creamy white, rich variants aged in oak. Despite this, certain flavors will remain recognizable—such as starfruit, yellow apple, vanilla, butter, and pineapple.

 

What makes Chardonnay white wine popular? Here are some reasons:

 

• Widely planted – The grape is planted around the world, surpassing the Trebbiano (a vinegar grape from Italy) and the Airén from Spain. According to a 2018 report by the US Department of Agriculture, chardonnay was planted in 93.148 acres of vineyards in California. Winemakers love the grape because it is easy to grow.

 

• Bubbly – Chardonnay white wine could rival popular bubbly wines. The grape itself is among the three main grapes in champagne, and it is also used in red wines like pinot meunier and pinot noir. Blanc de Blanc champagne means it is all chardonnay. A lot of New World sparkling wines also the grape in significant amounts, too.

 

• Versatile – Its flavors may not be that distinctive as sauvignon blanc or riesling, but that makes chardonnay a perfect blank canvas for winemakers looking to implement their own winemaking techniques to create a unique imprint on this wine.

 

Food pairings – The intensity of flavors and spices are low in Chardonnay white wine, but its buttery and creamy textures and flavors remain accentuated, making it a suitable companion to fine seafood, like lobster, as well as Brie-style cheeses. High-end oaked Chardonnay should go well with halibut, corn, mushrooms, and crab cakes, and unoaked variants will go with sushi, oysters, vegetable risotto, and chicken.