Chardonnay

Chardonnay is the world's most famous white wine grape: a green-skinned variety born in Burgundy that is the second most planted white grape on Earth. It is prized for being a relatively neutral, malleable canvas — its character comes as much from where it grows and how it is made as from the grape itself — so it ranges from lean, steely and unoaked to round, buttery and rich. From flinty Chablis to opulent Napa and the great white Burgundies of Meursault, Chardonnay is also one of the three pillars of Champagne.