Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to produce some of the world's most popular white wines. It originally comes from the Burgundy region in eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand.
The flavors of Chardonnay can range widely depending on where it's grown and how it's made. The taste can range from clean and crisp with a lemony zing in places like Chablis, France, to ripe and tropical in warmer climates like California. In cool climates, Chardonnay tends to produce wines of higher acidity with flavors of green plum, apple, and pear.
In warmer locations, the flavors become more citrus, peach, and melon, while in very warm locations, more fig and tropical fruit notes such as banana and mango come out. Wines that have undergone malolactic fermentation will also have softer acidity and fruit flavors with butter, popcorn and toasted hazelnut notes.
Chardonnay also plays a significant part in making Champagne and is also one of the main ingredients in many sparkling wines around the world.
While it can be enjoyed young, the best expressions of Chardonnay are aged in oak and can stand up to several years in bottle, developing more complex nutty and honeyed notes over time.
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Man O' War Vineyards
725 Man O' War Bay Road
Waiheke Island
Auckland 1971
New Zealand
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Mudbrick Vineyard
126 Church Bay Road Waiheke Island
Oneroa 1971
New Zealand
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Moana Park Winery
530 Puketapu Road
Taradale Napier 4104
New Zealand
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Te Mata Estate Winery
349 Te Mata Road
RD 12
Havelock North 4294
New Zealand
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Craggy Range Winery
253 Waimarama Roas Havelock North
Hastings 4294
New Zealand
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C.J. Pask Winery
1133 Omahu Road
Twyford 4175
New Zealand
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Sileni Estates
2016 Maraekakaho Road
Hastings 4171
New Zealand
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Hillock Wines
Dwarsrivier 2 Ladismith
Mymering Farm Dwarsrivier Valley
Dwarsrivier Valley
6655
South Africa
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Alana Wines
133 Puruatanga Road
Martínborough 5711
New Zealand
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Schubert Wines Limited
57 Cambridge Road
Martinborough 5711
New Zealand
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Nga Waka Vineyard
66 Kitchener Street
Martinborough 5711
New Zealand
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Hans Herzog Estate
81 Jeffries Road, RD 3
Blenheim 7273
New Zealand
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Johnson Estate
8419 West Route 20
Westfield, NY 14787
United States
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Hunter's Wines
603 Rapaura Road
Blenheim 7273
New Zealand
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Whitehaven Wine Company
39 Pauls Road, Rapaura RD3
Blenheim 7273
New Zealand
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Forrest Estate Winery
19 Blicks Road
Renwick 7204
New Zealand
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Neudorf Vineyards
138 Neudorf Road RD2
Upper Moutere, Nelson 7175
New Zealand
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SPRINGFIELD ESTATE
R317 Road
Western Cape
South Africa
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The Crossings (Marlborough)
302 Boston Post Rd E,
Richmond, Nelson
New Zealand
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Rimu Grove Winery
404/6 Aranui Road
Mapua 7005
New Zealand
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Mud House Wines
780 Glasnevin Road
Waipara 7447
New Zealand
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Rockburn Wines
Rockburn Stables, 8 Coalpit Road
Gibbston 9371
New Zealand
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Shaky Bridge Wines
269 Dunstan Road
Alexandra 9391
New Zealand
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Felton Road
319 Felton Road, R.D. 2
Bannockburn 9384
New Zealand
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Mt Difficulty Wines
73 Felton Road
Bannockburn
Cromwell 9384
New Zealand
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Chard Farm Winery
205 Chard Road, Gìbbston Valley, RD 1
Queenstown 9371
New Zealand