Chardonnay is to white wine what Cabernet Sauvignon is to red wine. Chardonnay is used to produce France's magnificent white Burgundies and is the main grape in Champagne. In the last decade or so, Chardonnay has become the world's most often-purchased dry white wine. Because of its great adaptability, it grows in nearly every wine-producing regionof the world. Some California Chardonnays are stellar examples of the genre. When they are made with care, Chardonnay wines are bold, rich and complex. They taste of ripe figs and peach, honey and butter, hazelnuts and spice. The best Chardonnays are medium-bodied, medium dry and high in acidity. Chardonnays, more than any other white wine, love to be aged in oak.
