Chardonnay is the third most popular grape in New Zealand today, so it might come as a surprise to learn it has declined by 25 per cent in this country over the past decade from 3,865 hectares to 3,167 hectares in 2019*.
It’s a significant drop in numbers but winemakers say there’s nothing to worry about because the quality is better than ever. The drop in quantity is not due to a lack of popularity but to a rise in quality of vines planted and better sites on which to grow this great white grape.
Are we to believe them? The proof is in the bottle and to judge by the rise in sales of Chardonnay, both in supermarkets and in fine wine retail stores, quality is on the up.
There’s more understanding in New Zealand today of the fact that this versatile grape can be used to create a wide range of different wine styles.
Chardonnay originally comes from the north east of France from a region called Burgundy. It’s best known there for its role in Chablis, which is the name of a town and the white wines made from Chardonnays made in that town. This far northern region in France has such a cool climate that winemaking methods have evolved there to soften the high acidity of Chardonnay grown there. This technique is called malolactic fermentation because it converts hard malic acids into soft lactic ones, which taste creamy like lactic acidity does in butter, yoghurt and cream. This method has the added bonus of providing popular buttery flavours to the dry, full bodied white wines made from Chardonnay. Not that all winemakers use this method. Some prefer to dial up the citrusy vibe of Chardonnay’s taste so that it appears fresh, zesty and bright in flavour. Chardonnay can also be flattered by oak fermentation and maturation, which provides body, added smoothness and power to wines made from it. Classic Chablis is but one of the ways to make great Chardonnays. No wonder Chardonnay is called the winemakers’ grape.
Fun fact: Chardonnay is also a key ingredient in top shelf sparkling wines such as Champagne, Spanish Cava and in Italy’s top sparkling wine, Franciacorta from Lombardy. And, of course, it’s a key ingredient in New Zealand’s best sparkling wines.
Creamy, citrusy, smooth, full bodied, dry and powerful, sometimes sparkling, often not. Chardonnay is an incredibly versatile grape and wine. Here’s a toast to the big dry whites made from the world’s most popular white grape.
Explore our Chardonnays by clicking here.
Statistics from NZ Winegrowers Annual Report.
Joelle Thomson is a wine writer, journalist and author. She’s an avid lover of wine and currently writes for Capital magazine, Good magazine, NZ Winegrower, Drinksbiz, and her own site, www.joellethomson.com
