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Chardonnay

California Chardonnay

Chardonnay is California’s most-planted white winegrape and is far and away the most popular wine in the United States. With sales increases every year, Chardonnay has been the nation’s leading varietal wine for the last decade.

The wine’s classic flavor descriptors include green apple, fig and citrus, with medium-to-full body, complex aroma and moderate acidity. Chardonnay is often aged in oak to produce vanilla and toast overtones. In recent years, many California winemakers have moved away from the opulent style of Chardonnay popular in the 1980s and 1990s in favor of more subtly oaked and unoaked versions.

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 Historical references note California plantings of Chardonnay dating back to the late 1800s, but production remained limited because of low yields. Most Chardonnay vineyards, with the exception of small plantings in the Livermore Valley and Santa Cruz Mountains, were uprooted during Prohibition, when growers replaced them with thick-skinned varieties that could be shipped across the country. It was not until the 1970s that Chardonnay plantings boomed in response to the wine’s surging popularity.

Top 10 California Counties for Chardonnay Acreage, 2023
County Total Acres
Monterey 16,126
Sonoma 15,484
San Joaquin 12,267
Napa 6,399
Yolo 5,786
Sacramento 4,751
Mendocino 4,441
Santa Barbara 4,161
Madera 3,495
Merced 3,384
Other 11,769
State Total 88,063
Source: California Agricultural Statistics Service
California Chardonnay Grape Crush Tonnage
Year Tons Crushed
2023 652,754
2022 525,079
2021 619,360
2020 539,321
2019 642,116
2018 711,668
2017 614,723
2016 675,885
2015 633,594
2014 718,029
2013 758,188
2012 735,775
2011 558,794
2010 656,297
2009 727,078
2008 566,306
2007 589,664
2006 549,502
2005 742,582
2004 568,295
2003 561,677
2002 594,746
2001 568,295
2000 650,524
1999 458,273
1998 428,827
1997 491,406
1996 304,463
1995 286,989
California Agricultural Statistics Service