The Wine Institute

If Cabernet Sauvignon is the king of red grapes, Chardonnay is the queen of whites. The variety is California's most widely planted winegrape, with 95,000 acres reported in 2005. Chardonnay far and away remains the most popular wine in the U.S. and has continued to be the leading varietal wine for the last decade, with sales increases every year. Chardonnay represented an estimated 26 percent of California's table wine volume shipped to the U.S. market in 2005.

Fans of Chardonnay are familiar with the wine's usual descriptors: green apple, fig and citrus flavors, a complex aroma, and high acidity for a crisp wine. The wine is often aged in oak to produce toasty, vanilla and buttery overtones.

The Chardonnay Grape

Genetic studies have identified Chardonnay as a cross between Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc. Historical references note California plantings of Chardonnay dating back to the late 1800s, but production remained limited because of the grape's low yields. Most Chardonnay vineyards were uprooted during Prohibition when growers replaced them with thick-skinned varieties that could be shipped cross country. Small plantings in the Livermore Valley and Santa Cruz Mountains survived Prohibition. It was not until the 1970s and thereafter that Chardonnay plantings boomed as the wine became increasingly popular.

California Traditional Table Wine Volume (2005)

Source: Estimated by Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates. Traditional bottled table wine shipments to the U.S. market.
Total % may not add up exactly to 100% because of rounding.
¹ Includes generic blends and Meritage wines.
² Others include Pinot Gris 3.2%; Syrah, 2.1%.

Other numbers from Impact's Annual Wine Survey are as follows:

Source: Impact Annual Wine Survey.

Source: Impact Annual Wine Survey.
Editors: Electronic photos available of California Syrah winegrapes.