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Chardonnay

Grape
White: Originally comes from France and takes its name from a village in the Maconnaise, Burgundy. Can produce good quality wines in a wide range of climates and soils. It also can take a great number of different wine making techniques, such as oak (distinctly rich, toasty nutty), malolatic fermentation (creamy), and aging.
Cool Climates: Steely, minerally, medium to light bodied wines that are high in acidity and have distinct notes of apples, green plums and underripe citrus fruit on the nose and palate. Warmer Climates: More ripe citrus flavours; lemons, limes and grapefruits. Hot Climates: Tropical fruit flavours such as melon, peach, mango banana and even fig. Very Hot Climates: Full bodied andhigh in alcohol but with low acidity. The Chardonnay grape is also used in the production of Champagne and other Sparkling wines.
Classic Chardonnay countries are:
France: Chablis, wines of the Macon wines such as 'Pouilly-Fuisse', other white Burgundy, Champagne region.
Italy: In the Northern regions such as Friuli high quality Chardonnay is made, with fuller versions made in the south.
California too produces a range of styles but classic examples are very full-bodied, high acidity with exotic fruit flavours and an oaky, buttery finish, more restrained styles come from the cooler coastal regions.
Australia Lots of Chardonnay from Australia is blended in order to give the wine different aromas and varying degrees of oak flavours. Most Australian chardonnay sees some degree of oak treatment.
New Zealand produces Chardonnay in both the Northern and Southern Islands.Gisbourne on the Northern Island tends more towards a riper, exotic flavoured style of wine. whilst the Malborough and Central Otago states of the Southern Island lean more towards pure, clean fruit charactert with a crisp acidity.
Chile: The best Chilean Chardonnay is considered to come from the Casablanca Valley and the style is very much fruit driven with flavours of grapefruit and banana.
South Africa: Due to the cool climate South Africa has shown the potential to make wines of a very high standard. They employ Burgundian techniques such as barrique fermentation and lees-stirring which contributes to the character of the wines.