Chardonnay

Chardonnay is a white grape variety, international, grown in all the wine-growing areas of the world. It has medium-sized, round leaves; the bunch is medium-sized, pyramidal, tight, sparsely winged; the berry is medium-sized, with a medium-firm, tender skin and golden yellow color. The vigor is high, the productivity regular and abundant. The harvest is quite early (first ten days of September or even August in some hilly areas. It prefers temperate-warm climates, hilly, clayey and calcareous soils, ventilated and fresh environments. It is sensitive to spring frosts. Chardonnay is one of the so-called "international" French vines, among the most cultivated in every part of the world, also thanks to its high adaptability. Its origins are not clear: according to some scholars it has Middle Eastern "roots", according to others it comes from a spontaneous cross between a pre-domesticated vine and a vine from Illyria. However, it is native and widespread from Burgundy, specifically originally planted by the Cistercian monks of the Pontigny Abbey, from where it has gradually spread throughout the world since the end of the 19th century. Long confused with Pinot Blanc, genetic research has shown that it is a cross, which occurred spontaneously perhaps in the Carolingian era, between Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc, a vine of ancient origin. Slavic of great vigor, used to "cut" numerous wines. Its name derives from Chardonnay , the homonymous village of the Mâconnais in Burgundy.