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Pinot Noir Chardonnay is the term the rest of the world, outside Champagne, use to describe a sparkling wine. The name Pinot Chardonnay has been derived from the varieties of grapes used in its production, while the old name ‘Champagne’ is now only used by the wines produced from the same name region in France, due to European Union action to protect its name.

Besides the name, nothing much has changed in the way of taste and texture and the wines themselves are still as exciting and enjoyable as Champagne. Needless to say that most Pinot Chardonnays are produced using the same methods as its French counterparts.
Even well known champagne distributors like Moet and Chandon have a few hidden Pinot Chardonnay gems hidden amongst their lists.  Some are produced in a fine estate in the prestigious wine growing area of the Yarra Valley of Australia.

Some seriously good ‘Sparklers’ emanate from New Zealand, particularly the north island.

Many attempts over the years to combine various grape varieties have resulted in some fantastic successes and some tragic failures.  The most common types of grapes used in experimentation are Semillon Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz.  There is a good reason that you don’t find a Sauvignon Blanc Chardonnay.  On the other side of this, the mixture of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay used in combination with the sparkling fermentation process has lead to a very popular drop.

Pinot Chardonnay has proven to be a winner at social outings such as picnics and BBQ’s, which has led them to be sold in 200ml and 375ml bottles.  Packaging and delivery of sparking varieties is also easy thanks to the advancements of technology in these areas over the years.

And as if you weren’t convinced already, Pinot Chardonnays are also much cheaper in price than their champagne brethren, delivering the same quality and enjoyment at a fraction of the price.

Set up a blind tasting of your own one day and see if you and your friends can pick the difference.

Follow the link for more information on Chardonnay wine varieties.

Popular Varieties Of Wine

There are many types and varieties of wine available. For anyone wanting to try and match a great wine with a specific type of meal, then you can’t go wrong making your choice form one of the more popular varieties around.

Oh, and before we get started, if you love to try new wines, then you can’t go wrong with a wine of the month club, they’re fun and you’re always expanding your wine palate.

Let’s take a look at some of the more popular wine varieties:

Cabernet Sauvignon

Known to many as cab sauv for short, this is a flavorful, full bodied red wine which originated in France. This is one of the best known and most popular wines on the market.

This flavorful red is perfect with steak, roasted lamb and just by itself while unwinding.

Merlot

Merlot should ideally be a very soft red wine that is also quite rich without the high tannin levels of other reds. Whether on its own or blended with a great cab-sav, merlot is lovely served with chicken or can an excellent drinking red wine.

Shiraz

Also known as Syrah, Shiraz is a deep red colored, medium bodied wine whose flavor includes hints of black pepper and berries. This is one of the best wines to go with barbecue as well as many other meat dishes. Shiraz can be aged for a long time and improves well with age.

Originally from Iran, this grape is now very much associated with the Australian Barossa Valley region, where some of the world’s best Shiraz is produced.

Served with peppery or mustard-based sauces on spicy, garnished meats, Shiraz is the perfect complimentary red wine.

Grenache

This soft wine has plum and black pepper flavors and is also a good partner for spicy foods. It is often seen in blends with Shiraz, especially those from France and Spain.

Pinot Noir

Pinot noir is a stunning light- to medium-bodied red wine with a fine fruity aroma. When this fine wine is well aged, it can develop lovely floral flavors.

Chardonnay

This is one of the most popular white wine varieties. Chardonnay makes a lovely wine on its own and it is often blended with other white wines. Chardonnay has notes of melon and lemon, as well as oak; the wine is generally aged in oak for between one and three years. This wine is the perfect complement to salmon and tuna dishes.

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon blanc is a tart, assertively flavored wine with lemon and gooseberry notes. This is a great wine for seafood or on its own, well chilled.

Semillon

Very popular in France and Australia, this grape is less popular outside of those countries. Boasting a mild, honey and toast flavor, this wine is often seen in blends with Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

Riesling

This is a German wine which has found favor worldwide and is now grown in many different countries. This is a white wine with a pleasing green apple and lemon flavor which may be either dry or sweet. The dry varieties of Riesling are excellent paired with spicy foods.

Now get out there, start trying new wines (join a wine club if there are no vineyards nearby), and enjoy.

Chardonnay grape is the most popular type of white wine, found all over the world.The aroma, taste and flavor of it will, depends on the processing method employed and where it was made.  Chardonnay has a variety of different styles and flavors, and remains a major type of grape.As a result of it’s popularity, this fine wine spread all along Europe and other locations of the world such as California and Australia.

As more and more wine makers discovered Chardonnay, the fine wine began to grow quite well in South Africa and other areas as well.  With it being a non aroma type wine, oak seems to work very well with it.  The richest and most complex are American and French Chardonnay, which are also among the most preferred white wines.  Even though it does suffer from fatigue, the flavor and richness of this wine will keep it loved by many for years to come.

Chardonnay originated from the Burgundy and Champagne area of France.  Although white Burgundy is a popular wine that is prepared with Aligote, a lesser known grape, the fact remains that white Burgundy can’t be made without the use of Chardonnay grape.  What this goes to show, is that Chardonnay grapes have more than a few uses.

In appearance, Chardonnay grapesare green in color with thin skins.  The grape is a result of the Pinot and Croatian Blanc grape, which are extinct to this day.  Chardonnay on the other hand is still popular, fermented and aged using oak barrels that help to bring out the vanilla flavor the wine is well known for.  It can also be aged and fermented using bottles, although it won’t age quite as much as red wine.

Almost all Chardonnay wines are considered to be chilled, making them work extremely well with dishes that contain butter and cheeses.The wines also have very less acid, which makes them work well with seafood too.  There are a lot of food that you can pair Chardonnay with, which is what makes it so popular.  A lot of fine restaurants serve it as well, especially Italian and seafood restaurants.

The Chardonnay grape can also be used in making Champagne and other types of sparkling wines.  Although Chardonnay wine is the most popular use, there are several other uses for the grape that lead to some truly fine wines.  Oak is often times used with the wine as well, which provides it with some great flavors as it ages.  Although it can be a bit on the expensive side, it still remains one of the most preferred types of wine.  You can find it at any wine or alcohol store – making it a great addition to your wine or drink collection.