06/06/06 French Chardonnay

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. One of the most popular white grape varietals is without a doubt Chardonnay. On today's program we're going to take a closer look at French Chardonnay. If you've been drinking and learning about wine I'm certain that most of you have had a white wine from France. French wines have a reputation for being among the best, and there are very strict quality controls to ensure this. But unfortunately one of the most misunderstood names for a French white wine is Chablis. It suffers because to many it is synonymous with ordinary bulk white wine. And that is so far from the truth when it comes to the Chablis' of France. The region of France called Chablis is in the northern area of Burgundy and produces only white wine. Chablis is white wine made from the Chardonnay grape. And they are classified by the level of the quality of the vineyards that they come from. For example a label that reads only Chablis, can be from anywhere in the region. However, a label that reads Chablis Premiere Cru indicates a very good quality wine that comes from specific high quality vineyards. The highest classification would be the Chablis Grand Cru, of which there are only around seven vineyards, and these wines are limited in production and yes you guessed it, somewhat expensive. So - when it comes to the Chardonnay of Chablis France - it is certain that they are not all created equal. And thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.