Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a noble grape variety and one of the highest quality grapes in the world, it comes from the crossing of Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc. Chardonnay is named after the French town of the same name in the Burgundy wine region. The vine often produces full-bodied and creamy wines, with aromas of gooseberry and grapefruit rising to the nose. The taste is soft, but can be quite a bit smokier and reminiscent of walnuts. Since Chardonnay loses a lot of acidity during late harvest, it is always a challenge for winemakers to harvest the grape with the right ripeness. In addition, the white wine variety is also called multi-talented, as it does not require too much sun and thrives on a wide variety of soils. In South Africa, government import regulations made it almost impossible to grow the grape variety for a long time. Since the end of the 1990s, imports have been made easier, and today it is an integral part of the South African wine landscape.