Consumers can’t get enough of it. It keeps the cash register ringing for restaurants and retailers internationally. Chardonnay dominates in the world of wine

Varietals: Have I Got a Chardonnay for You

Instead of going to the gym last Saturday I decided to participate in the Chardonnay World Classic, a North Fork twist on great sporting events. It might not have the therapeutic value of an hour on the treadmill, but it was a lot less sweaty and certainly more diverting.

Now in its sixteenth year, the Chardonnay Classic is organized by Lenz Winery in Cutchogue, and though the name suggests a competition, it is really a tasting. No prizes, no winners and losers, just a leisurely sampling of more than 60 chardonnays from wine producing areas around the world.

Why does chardonnay deserve its own event? Popularity is the answer. Chardonnay is a crowd pleaser. Though it has not been shown to be addictive, consumers just can’t get enough of it. It is the world’s most frequently consumed dry white wine. And producers, retailers and restaurants have learned how to respond to and encourage this demand. Chardonnay gets the cash register ringing like no other wine.

In its way, chardonnay is a great business model, from production to consumption. The grape is easy to grow compared to most others. It is not too fussy about soil or climate, and is prolific. The grape is highly adaptable in the hands of a winemaker, so the range of chardonnay profiles is virtually endless. This adaptability enables larger wineries to reproduce a signature taste each year regardless of weather, and enables even small operations to be able to offer two or three different chardonnays with varying characteristics.

Consumers love all these chardonnays, everything from austere, flinty ones to rich, buttery ones. Everyone over six years old knows how to pronounce the name, and most bottles on the market are affordable. Consumers want it and the wine world can supply it. Perfect match.

Until about a generation ago, chardonnay was primarily defined by white Burgundies, many of which still set the standard. It is also used in the Champagne region and elsewhere for sparkling wines. The grape now spans the globe, with vines in just about every wine-producing country on earth. The Chardonnay Classic was by no means comprehensive in reflecting all regions, countries and prices available—that would require a stadium—but it did give a good indication.

I sampled perhaps 20 to 25 of the wines and reached a few conclusions, just my impressions, by no means scientific and not guaranteed accurate.

Price counts—most of the time. The most interesting wines were among the most expensive. But this does not mean all expensive ones were consistently good, or that you can’t find some terrific ones among the value bottles.

There is a chardonnay for every individual taste. The range of styles, even in my relatively small sampling, was considerable. Personal taste counts with all wines, but especially with the many faces of chardonnay.

South African chardonnays seem markedly better than they were a few years ago. Australia continues to export big tastes for small prices. California, responding to the trend toward less oak in the bottle, is producing some highly sophisticated chardonnays.

Three of my favorites at the Chardonnay World Classic:

Landmark Overlook 2003, from Sonoma/Monterey ($27) is exquisitely balanced with delicate fruit, dry mineral notes and a satisfying richness.

Zenato Riserva 2003, from the Veneto region of Italy ($30), is also finely tuned and complex. Cousino Macul Reserva 2004, from Chile, is a terrific, easygoing chardonnay for only $12.

I did not try many Long Island chardonnays at the tasting since I have often written about them. The few I sampled were rewarding, but did not stand out from the larger group. My chardonnay master plan for the summer is to serve and drink local versions but continue to examine and experiment with the abundance of chardonnays from the wider world.