The wines from the Chardonnay grape can vary greatly but what's constant is its elegance and of minerality and fruit. Chardonnay has consistently been one of the world's most popular grapes for its versatility. You'll find it in wines ranging from light, playful Sparkling wines to rich, oaky Chardonnays. For more info, read Joelle's Top Ten Tips Below! 1. Chardonnay is often described as the most popular white wine in the world 2. It’s the third most popular grape in New Zealand with 3163 hectares 3. It originally comes from Burgundy in north east France 4. It’s named after a village in the Macon region in the south of Burgundy 5. Chardonnay is the most planted grape in the Auckland and Gisborne regions and ties in first place in Hawke’s Bay (alongside Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc) 6. Gisborne is called The Chardonnay capital of New Zealand – by its winemakers 7. Chardonnay in the most planted grape in Gisborne and Auckland 8. Chardonnay is versatile and can make big, buttery and creamy dry whites 9. It can also make crisp, fresh and refreshing dry white wines 10. It’s one of the three main grapes used in champagne and top quality bubbles 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 She also teaches, works in radio, and more, so we've enlisted her help to sniff out our amazing value wines!