So you think you hate Chardonnay?
Ever found yourself being offered a chilled glass of white and wanting to accept – but before you do, catching yourself asking: “Oh… it’s not Chardonnay, is it?”
If so, you’re far from alone. And we’re definitely not here to judge. You were likely burned by a bad bottle in the past that sent you running straight for the safety of your go-to Sauvignon Blanc.
But it’s a curious case, because while thousands of wine-lovers around the world proudly proclaim themselves members of the “ABC” club…
*That stands for Anything But Chardonnay – in case you didn’t know.
…for many of our winemakers (and wine-lovers around the world), Chardonnay is the undisputed king of the cellar. A grape so brilliantly versatile that it can morph into wildly different styles depending on whose hands it's in.
As our own South African winemaker Johan Kruger sums up:
"Whenever someone asks me what my favourite varietal is, my answer is always the same. Chardonnay, Chardonnay and then lastly Chardonnay… I feel that Chardonnay is the greatest translator of terroir and for me, that is what wines should be – a reflection of where they came from."
Because here’s the thing…
Chardonnay isn’t just one style, it’s a delicious spectrum. As the old saying goes, “if you’ve tried one Chardonnay, you’ve tried… one Chardonnay.”
So are you truly a hater, or have you just been drinking the wrong bottle?
What makes your Chardonnay taste like… that?
There are some grape varieties that come with a hallmark calling card – like Sauvignon Blanc (with its gooseberries and grassiness) or Gewürztraminer’s super-floral rose petals.
That’s not the case with Chardonnay.
Chardonnay is a wine of endless possibilities, made in all sorts of styles across the globe – from ripe and oaky to crisp and zesty. And everything in between.
It’s native to Burgundy, France, where it’s responsible for some of the most elegant white wines on the planet. But because it’s a hardy, forgiving grape to grow, it has travelled to literally every corner of the winemaking world.
How it tastes in your glass comes down to two major things: where it grew and how it was handled.
Where it grew: the climate effect
Cool climates: in cooler regions (like Burgundy or Elgin in South Africa), Chardonnay retains bright, sharp acidity and serves up more fresh flavours. Think apples, pears and lemon zest – and a minerality.
Warm climates: a bit more sunshine produces riper, richer fruit flavour. Anything from stone fruits like peach and nectarine to full-on tropical fruit like mango and pineapple. It depends on how hot it gets.
And for purists, it can go way deeper than just country (or even county!) borders.
Winemakers will obsess for hours over individual slopes and how a specific hillside catches the morning sunshine or evades a chilly frost.
That hyper-local obsession is where the famous Cru system came from in Burgundy. It doesn't just denote big, fancy estates – it categorises specific vineyard sites that create the greatest liquid magic.
Then there's the question of when to harvest (i.e. how ripe the grapes should be)... plus a million other teeny little things that grape-growers and winemakers worry about so you don't have to. Like we say, it's a grape of endless possibilities.
How it was handled: winemaker wizardry
Once the grapes cross the winery threshold, winemakers can shape their Chardonnay using three main techniques.
Oak ageing: or not, as the case may be. Fermenting or ageing the juice in stainless steel tanks keeps a Chardonnay crisp and fresh, and means more of a pure, fruity character. Introduce oak barrels, and the wine develops added complexities. The bigger (and older) the barrel – the more subtle the effect. Brand new oak barrels give loud, punchy notes of vanilla, sweet baking spice, and toasted charcoal, while using older, seasoned barrels simply adds a textural roundness and a nicely-aged fruit character without dominant woody flavours.
Malolactic fermentation (MLF): don't let the science-y name scare you off. MLF is a natural biological process where the sharp, crunchy malic acid in the juice (think: biting into a fresh green apple) is converted by friendly bacteria into the smooth, creamy lactic acid found in dairy. Yes, it sounds odd but don’t worry, this isn’t about turning your wine into milk. It’s just what gives some wines that buttery character and luxurious texture.
Lees stirring: the 'lees' are the spent yeast cells left behind after a wine ferments. Instead of filtering them out immediately, many winemakers practice bâtonnage – (a fancy word for giving it a good stir) which gives the wine a glorious textural weight and infuses it with savoury notes of brioche, baked bread and biscuits.
Four faces of Chardonnay: the delicious spectrum
So, feeling a little more open-minded?
Now that we've pulled back the curtain on Chardonnay it's time to put your palate to the test. If you’ve spent years dodging this grape, jumping back in can feel a bit like stepping into the unknown. But we're not throwing you in at the deep end.
To help you navigate the Chardonnay landscape, we’ve broken it down into four easy-to-digest styles. Just to get started…
Crisp and clean
These styles are all about refreshing fruit flavours (think apples and lemons) with a mouth-watering acidity. There is no (or very little) oak in sight here – these wines rely on cool climates and stainless steel to preserve fruit character, often with a mineral freshness.
It’s a style that’s been perfected for centuries in classic northern Burgundy appellations like Chablis, but winemakers in high-altitude New World spots are giving the French a serious run for their money.
Wines to try:
Sebastien Christophe’s Petit Chablis is a textbook example, serving up citrus flavours and a crisp texture that makes it the ultimate partner for fresh goat's cheese. For a touch more body without losing that revitalising freshness, look to his levelled-up Christophe et Fils Chablis.
Or if you want to move out of Burgundy – try Richard Kershaw’s Elgin Chardonnay, which uses the high altitude and ocean breezes of South Africa's coolest wine region to deliver an elegant white with lemon zest, peach, pineapple, and a microscopic hint of coconut. While Stuart Pym’s Hearts and Bones Chardonnay comes from Margaret River in Western Australia: a region known for the freshness and purity of its wines.
Ripe and fruity
For those who want a lot more vibrant, juicy, expressive fruit – still without the butter or vanilla notes. These wines are often grown in warmer, sun-drenched regions to coax out the grape's riper flavours., And the winemakers keep the oak tightly under control.
Wines to try:
Juicy’s Chardonnay from Australian icon Peter ‘Juicy’ Gajewski is a great example. He harvests his fruit in two separate batches – the first early in the season to lock in high natural acidity, and the second later for a more fully ripened fruit character. Blended together, it creates a crowd-pleasing balance of tropical peach and lemon flavours with a soft, round mouthfeel. Across the Pacific, Scott Kelley’s Oregon Chardonnay is made with Chablis precision in mind. It’s barrel-fermented but bursts with vibrant Willamette Valley melon and peach notes.
Rich and complex
This is where the winemaker's start to play around a bit more – with judicious oak ageing, wild ferments and texture-building cellar work to build layers of complexity. The fruit is rich and seasoned with spices and toasty flavours. There’s often hints of lees-ageing (think bready and earthy notes), and a gorgeous, rounded mouthfeel that enhances food without ever overwhelming the palate.
Wines to try:
To make their Villion Chardonnay, Kobie and Faisal put half the wine into French oak to deliver a delightful pale-gold colour and a whole bevy of flavours – from sweet citrus to tropical pineapple, and spicy cinnamon and coconut from the oak. For a great value option – Serena Cordero’s Chardonnay is made in a generous, fruity style rounded out with a lovely bit of French oak for added richness and texture. It’s made in, of all places, Moldova!
Big, bold and buttery
Full-throttle and unashamedly luxurious style. This is the sort of Chardonnay that’s had the kitchen sink thrown at it. It’s a style that originated in California (our very own Scott Peterson was one of its pioneers).
Think maximum sunshine for the ripest fruit flavour. Lots of vanilla and spice from generous oak ageing and barrel fermentation. And no holds barred when it comes to MLF – to create a super creamy, buttery style of wine.
It’s not a Chardonnay for everyone. But those who love it, LOVE it.
Wines to try:
Scott Peterson’s Brass Tacks Chardonnay is the perfect example of this Californian style. Its ripe, tropical flavours mix with all the decadent notes of vanilla, caramel and sweet baking spice with bags of butteryness.
With so many styles, there must be one for you…
Still not convinced? Take our Chardonnay compatibility test
All you need to do is grab a bottle of each, taste your way through the spectrum and score each style:
👍 = Liked it | 👎 = Not for me
Then add up your 👍 marks to find your certified Chardonnay persona:
0 / 4 – Chardonnay Hater (Certified): You gave it a fair shot... and still said no. Respect.
1 / 4 – Chardonnay Curious: There’s something in there you didn't hate. Keep an open mind – you might just be convertible.
2 / 4 – Selective Chardonnay Drinker: You don’t hate Chardonnay, you just don’t trust it fully yet.
3 / 4 – Chardonnay Convert (In Training): Be honest... you’ve been won over. You’re just waiting for the right moment to admit it.
4 / 4 – Chardonnay Is My Soulgrape: You’ve seen the light. You don’t just like Chardonnay – you love it in all its glorious forms.
Ready to hand in your ABC badge?
So as you’ve hopefully gathered by now, the real question was never: “Do you like Chardonnay?”
It’s always been: “Which Chardonnay do you love?”
But alright. If you’ve reached the bottom of this page and you are still stubbornly hanging onto your ‘Anything But Chardonnay’ membership card, we have one final curveball for you.
Did you know that Chardonnay is one of the three historic grapes used to craft Champagne?
That’s right. If you’ve ever celebrated a wedding, toasted a major milestone, or simply rung in the New Year with a glass of premium bubbly, congratulations. You’ve almost certainly been drinking Chardonnay all along. It just put on a tuxedo and found a sneakier, sparklier way to worm its way into your affections.
We rest our case.
PS. Mark your calendars...
Just when you thought the spectrum couldn't get any tastier, we have a big release coming. Later in 2026, our superstar New Zealand duo Bill and Claudia Small (that's them up there) will be releasing their long-awaited Marlborough Chardonnay – their prize wine for winning Naked Winemakers of the Year 2024.
You will absolutely want to be at the front of the queue when it lands. What style will it be? Well that’s for you to find out… but it’s looking lean, clean and beautifully crisp to us.
