But it's such pleasant research. Washington chards grow in valleys east of the tall Cascade Mountains. These, too, are cool, crisp and complex. And very popular. They're working on that.
Weather affects chardonnay here, too, with the rules turned upside-down south of the equator.
Australia's wine makers sometimes blend other grapes with their chardonnay. Italy makes only a few chardonnays, mostly in cooler areas of Tuscany and in the Alpen foothills of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Pale, lean and minerally, they go well with delicate seafood. Wherever a chardonnay comes from, wine makers have tricks for giving it additional flavors and textures. One is fermenting and aging it in oak barrels, which imparts aromas of cedar, spicy flavors and a creaminess that, with age, turns toasty.