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One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Northwest from Sydney, across the Blue Mountains, Mudgee is one of Australia's historic wine-producing regions. But even though wine has been made here since the 1850s, today the region boasts a thriving and modern wine scene with no shortage of passionate, boutique winemakers. Soils here are loam and clay and the elevation in Mudgee creates an atmosphere of cool nights and warm, sunny days, perfect for grape growing. Mudgee is recognized for deep and robust Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz as well as for its high quality Chardonnay and fruity Riesling.