What is Chardonnay? (Wine Styles, Flavors, Pairings, Regions)

by Anthony Zhang

Chardonnay is the most popular white wine in the world. Originally from Burgundy, the Chardonnay grape variety easily adapts to different climates, and today it’s grown all over the world.

The versatile grape is used to make a variety of wine styles - from fresh and crisp to rich and oaky and even sparklers.

Let’s discover Chardonnay’s taste, wine styles, food pairings, serving, and calories.

We’ll also cover the main differences between Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, the main Chardonnay regions, popular winemaking practices, and the 10 best Chardonnay wines.

What is Chardonnay?

Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety that’s a cross between Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc. It’s one of the most widely planted grapes, with around 210,000 hectares of vineyards worldwide.

Chardonnay is often called “the winemaker’s grape” because of its neutral flavor. This is why the grape can easily take on different characteristics based on the terroir and the winemaking techniques used in the winery.

Let’s take a look at the main flavor notes of Chardonnay (based on the winemaker style and the vineyard’s climate.)

What Does Chardonnay Taste Like?

Chardonnay is typically dry white with medium to full body, moderate acidity, and alcohol content levels.

Depending on the climate, there are two distinct Chardonnay flavor profiles:

Warm climate: Chardonnay wines from warmer regions usually have tropical fruit notes, lower acidity, and higher sugar levels.

Cold climate: Cool climate Chardonnay wines are usually more acidic with pronounced minerality, refreshing character, and citrus, pear, and stone fruit notes (similar to Chenin Blanc.)

The winemaker can also influence the wine’s flavor profile by deciding on:

The harvest period: Grapes harvested earlier are more acidic and produce tart wines with citrus notes. Late harvest grapes are more sugary with mango, papaya, and pineapple aroma notes.

The aging method: Chardonnay wines aged in oak are fuller-bodied with a buttery texture and vanilla undertones (very similar to oaked Pinot Blanc.) Wines that are not aged in oak are fresher with a lighter texture and a fruitier character.

Main Chardonnay Wine Styles

Chardonnay comes in four main wine styles:

Oaked: Oaked Chardonnay goes through partial or full malolactic fermentation, which results in a rich, creamy texture. The wine also has contact with the lees, limited exposure to oxygen, and is aged in oak barrel vessels where it gets rich vanilla, spice, and buttery flavor notes.

Unoaked: Unoaked Chardonnay is fermented in stainless steel tanks in an oxygen-free environment. This helps the wine preserve its freshness, crisp texture, bright acidity, and tangy character (similar to Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio wine.)

Sparkling: Chardonnay is one of the main grape varieties used to make French Champagne and Italian Franciacorta. Sparkling wine made with 100% Chardonnay grapes is called Blanc de Blancs.

Sweet: Sweet Chardonnay is a rare wine style, usually produced with botrytized grapes (similar to dessert Riesling wines.)

Food Pairings and Serving Chardonnay

Serve lighter, unoaked Chardonnay at around 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit and oaked or fuller-bodied Chardonnay at around 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit in a white wine glass.

If you have a sparkling Chardonnay, serve it in a flute.

Chardonnay goes with a variety of foods based on its wine style:

Unoaked and sparkling Chardonnay: Pair with delicate seafood dishes, chicken breast, roasted vegetables, and goat cheese.

Oaked Chardonnay: Buttery Chardonnay goes well with more savory and fatty dishes. Pair a glass of oaky Chardonnay with smoky game meats, steaks, roasted meats with rich, creamy sauces, and aged cheddar.

Calories in Chardonnay

A 5-ounce serving of Chardonnay contains about 120 calories (or 4 grams of carbs), while a 750-ml bottle has around 625 calories. Chardonnay’s low calorie count results from the low residual sugar levels of the wine.

Next, let’s see what are the main differences between Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Chardonnay vs Sauvignon Blanc: Key Differences

The main differences between Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are in their flavor and character:

Chardonnay: This wine can take on a variety of flavors - from ripe tropical fruit and buttery undertones (if aged in oak) to refreshing citrus and orchard fruit flavors (unoaked and sparkling wine styles.)

Sauvignon Blanc: This wine is known for its light and crisp texture and aroma bouquet of gooseberry, herbs, lemon, and nutmeg with distinct notes of green bell pepper, jalapeno, and grass.

How is Chardonnay Made?

The Chardonnay winemaking process includes:

Pressing: Once the grapes are harvested, they’re pressed, and the clear juice is separated from the grape skins.

Fermentation: The juice goes through alcoholic fermentation, where the yeast consumes the sugar and converts it into alcohol. Very often, Chardonnay wines go through an additional step - malolactic fermentation, where the malic acid converts into lactic acid (which results in Chardonnay’s distinct buttery flavor).

Aging: The wine can age in new oak barrel or stainless steel containers.

Racking: The clear juice is separated from the dead yeast, and the wine is bottled.

Where is Chardonnay Grown?

Here are the main Chardonnay wine regions:

1. France

Chardonnay is most widely planted in France, with about 46% of the world’s Chardonnay vine plantings. Besides being a key ingredient in the luxurious Champagne blends, it’s also used in some White Burgundy wines.

Some of the most prestigious French Chardonnay varietal wines come from Montrachet, Chablis, and Pouilly-Fuissé.

2. The USA

The grape variety is widely grown in the California wine region - mainly in Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Carneros, and Paso Robles. Most California Chardonnay wines have a ripe fruit flavor with mild acidity.

Other great Chardonnay wine regions are Oregon and New York.

3. Australia

The Chardonnay grape variety arrived in Australia in 1832. Now, it’s mostly planted in South Australia and produces easy-drinking wines with fruity flavors and refreshing acidity.

4. Italy

In Italy, Chardonnay is mainly planted in Sicily, Apulia, and Lombardy. It is often blended with other white grapes like:

Pinot Bianco
Cortese
Albana

5. Other Regions

Besides the main growing regions, Chardonnay vine plantings are also grown in:

New Zealand
Chile
Argentina
Hungary
Germany
Greece
Austria
Croatia
UK
Bulgaria

10 Best Chardonnay Wines To Buy Now

Here are some of the most irresistible Chardonnay wines:

2018 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Montrachet Grand Cru ($3,101)
2017 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Chevalieres ($1,323)
2017 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Montrachet Grand Cru ($9,694)
2015 Domaine Leflaive Clavoillon ($246)
2008 Weinlaubenhof Alois Kracher Kollektion Chardonnay Trockenbeerenauslese ($118)
2016 Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard 'White Stones' Chardonnay ($114)
2019 Mount Mary Chardonnay ($87)
2014 Errazuriz Aconcagua Costa 'Las Pizarras' Chardonnay ($71)
2015 Ramey Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay ($69)
2019 Tabali 'Talinay' Chardonnay ($23)

For more detailed Chardonnay wine suggestions and their tasting notes, check our guide to the finest Chardonnay wines in the world.

Invest in a Chardonnay: A Classy Drink for The White Wine Lover

Chardonnay is one of the most beloved white wines in the world, and there’s a wide variety to choose from. Just grab a bottle of your favorite Chard style for your next casual dinner party.

If you’re looking for a prestigious Chardonnay label or any other fine wine to add to your collection, check out the Vinovest website. The AI-based platform makes it super easy to buy, store, and sell wines from around the world.