Varietal: Chardonnay
Despite having its origins in western France, Chardonnay's immense popularity and flexibility quickly meant that before long, there wasn't a wine producing country in the world which wasn't investing in this fascinating and versatile grape varietal. Today, Chardonnays manage to win fine wine competitions and satisfy supermarket shoppers simultaneously, due to the fact that this grape varietal can take on many characteristics and features of where it is grown and how it is handled. Indeed, this green skinned grape is renowned for not having so much unique flavor within the fruit, but is very sensitive to the features of the terroir it is grown in, as well as to aging As such, it isn't unusual to find bottles of single variety Chardonnay wine described as holding notes of white stone, mountain waters, or other such geological features alongside the more predictable fruit descriptions This makes Chardonnay grape varietal wines an exciting world to delve into – full of surprises, full of delights.
Country: Israel
The vineyards of Israel have long been associated with high quality wines, and the wineries which operate within the country use the fantastic Mediterranean climate and mineral rich soils to grow fine French grape varietals such as Cabernet Sauvigon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc all over the country. Israel has five major wine regions; Galil, The Judean Hills, Shimshon, The Negev, and the Sharon Plain, with many of the most successful vineyards being located at high altitudes to benefit from the cooler temperatures and stronger breezes the vines need to produce better yields. Today, Israeli wineries are proving to be highly successful with audiences around the world, and the fact that the vast majority of Israeli wines are made to kosher requirements mean they are often in high demand amongst the worldwide Jewish population, although they are also highly popular with people of all backgrounds.
