Chardonnay is the most famous and appreciated white grape variety in the world. Considered one of the noblest varieties among white grapes, it is born in the prestigious setting of Burgundy, although it is possible to find it in all the countries of the world of wine by virtue of its marked adaptability. Today it is cultivated in far more distant places in France, that is in Chile, California, New Zealand and Australia, which have also become thanks to it significant areas for the New Oenological World, homelands of great wines.

In Italy chardonnay has long been confused with pinot bianco . Today we find it in many regions of the Bel Paese, in particular Trentino-Alto Adige , Aosta Valley, Lombardy, Veneto, Tuscany, Puglia and Sicily. We must not forget its role as absolute protagonist of some of the best known appellations of sparkling wine Classic Method, such as Franciacorta DOCG, Trento DOC, but also in blends in the Alta Langa DOCG.

However, the original and often unreachable model remains that of Burgundy , in particular that of the Côte de Beaune, where it gives life to wonderful whites, as well as in the precious areas of Chablis , Montrachet and Meursault. In these areas, in fact, it expresses itself with profiles that are able to masterfully combine fresh and elegant bouquets with advanced notes , demonstrating a sip of complexity and aromatic depth that are difficult to find elsewhere.

It is used in blends for the production of the best sparkling wines in the world , one of all Champagne , in whose blend it plays a key role as it gives the desired freshness and unparalleled elegance, ideal characteristics for an iconic luxury bubble. Specifically, blanc de blancs champagnes are produced with only chardonnay grapes.

It is a grape variety whose profile shows great variability and the personality of the wines produced are strongly affected by the influence of the terroir : we move from the white wines of Chablis that are agile and elegant, to the Californian and Sicilian wines that prove rich and opulent. Between these extremes there is an infinite range of different expressions that are expressed in very particular shades. If we also think that a wine made from chardonnay grapes can refine indifferently in steel tanks and in barrique , we can understand how heterogeneous the panorama of wines produced from these grapes in the world is and how each territory comes to express a different wine.

The correct pronunciation is "sciar-do-nè". Etymologically speaking, the name could derive directly from the name of the village of Chardonnay, whose Latin name Cardonacum (literally "place where thistle grows, chardon in French) has turned into Chardonnay and the strain became known as Chardenet, Chaudenet or Chardenay, until the 1986 Chalon-sur-Saône Ampelography Congress established its current name.

Some scholars believe that the Chardonnay grape is the fruit of a spontaneous cross that took place most likely in the Carolingian era, between Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc , an ancient white grape variety of Slavic origin brought to ancient Gaul by Emperor Marcus Aurelius Probus from Pannonia, his native land.

The vine is characterized by a medium, orbicular leaf, a medium and pyramidal cluster. The rather early ripening makes it susceptible to the risk of spring frosts, while the particularly thin skin makes it sensitive to rot and for this reason requires a lot of care. It can give good results with relatively high yields, but above all excellent results with low yields and it adapts very easily to different soils and climates.

The characteristics of a white wine produced with chardonnay grapes derive mainly from the structure of the original grape variety and the type of grape. It is generally characterized by a straw yellow hue that turns towards a golden yellow color in case of aging in wood. The perfume has typical notes of white pulp fruit including apple and pear, sometimes enriched with citrus notes; chardonnay from colder areas also develop lemon and mineral aromas, while those from warmer areas, once they reach full maturity, have pineapple and tropical fruit aromas. The flavor is characterized by a beautiful freshness , even more appreciable if the grapes were harvested at an early age and preserved by a vinification carried out entirely in steel. The chardonnays aged in wood instead turn out to be more full-bodied and soft.

From the point of view of food-wine pairing , a young chardonnay wine prefers dishes based on fish, molluscs and crustaceans . An advanced in wood instead requires more sophisticated and refined combinations : dishes characterized by an evident flavor or recipes that require the addition of honey or dried fruit.