Chardonnay

Chardonnay (pronounced: [ʃaʁ.dɔ.nɛ]) is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new and developing wine regions, growing Chardonnay is seen as a "rite of passage" and an easy entry into the international wine market.

The Chardonnay grape itself is very neutral, with many of the flavors commonly associated with the grape being derived from such influences as terroir and oak. It is vinified in many different styles, from the lean, crisply mineral wines of Chablis, France, to New World wines with oak, and tropical fruit flavors. In cool climates (such as Chablis and the Carneros AVA of California), Chardonnay tends to be medium to light body with noticeable acidity and flavors of green plum, apple and pear. In warmer locations (such as the Adelaide Hills and Mornington Peninsula in Australia and Gisborne and Marlborough region of New Zealand) the flavors become more citrus, peach and melon while in very warm locations (such as the Central Coast AVA of California) more fig and tropical fruit notes such as banana and mango come out. Wines that have gone through malolactic fermentation tend to have softer acidity and fruit flavors with buttery mouthfeel and hazelnut notes.

Chardonnay (name)

Chardonnay is a female given name. The name derives from Chardonnay wine, which originated in the village of Chardonnay in France. The name originally meant "thistle-covered place." (Evans, 2006)

In the United Kingdom, the name became fashionable due to the character Chardonnay Lane-Pascoe in the television series Footballers' Wives that started broadcasting in 2002.

Chardonnay has been used as a given name in the African-American community in the United States since at least the 1990s.

References

Evans, C. K. (2006). The great big book of baby names. Lincolnwood, Illinois: Publications International Limited. ISBN 1-4127-1300-5.