Although chardonnay is grown in many regions, its traditional home is in Burgundy, where you find Le Montrachet vineyard, home to the most expensive chardonnay in the world. In the Chablis region, chardonnay is well suited to the chalky, Kimmeridgian soil. There, it is the predominant white variety, producing a large diversity of flavours, from Corton-Charlemagne in the north to Macon in the south.

In the New World, chardonnay is grown in Australia, California, Chile, New Zealand and China. It is also an important ingredient in champagne. It partners with pinot noir and sometimes pinot meunier, giving acid and structure to the wine. It's also used exclusively for blanc de blanc, wines known for their clean, linear style in their youth.

Chardonnay is a chameleon and will take on the guise of the local growing conditions and is the perfect raw material for creative winemakers who want to place their stamps on the wine. It can yield a large array of character from floral, green apples, citrus fruit in cooler regions such as Chablis, to melon, peaches and stone fruit in the Macon region. The grape has a softer and rounder palate and lower acid levels compared with varieties such as sauvignon blanc.

Winemaking differences play an important role in influencing the final flavour profile of this grape. In regions such as the Adelaide Hills in Australia, winemakers may choose to preserve the primary fruit and vibrant character. After primary fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, wines may be bottled without undergoing secondary fermentation or further oak treatment.

Other options may be to ferment the grapes partially in barrels to add complexity to the wine. Lees stirring, involving leaving the wine on the yeast sediment after fermentation, adds creaminess and some palate weight to the wine. It is important that the wine is well balanced without oak flavours dominating the fruit. An analogy is when a chef over-seasons food, it can overwhelm the fresh taste of primary ingredients.