Chardonnay - Historical background
The Burgundy vineyard provides the Chardonnay variety, which was first cultivated around the town of Chardonnay in the 10th century. In Roman times, Cardonacum referred to the thistles that grew there, which evolved into chardenet, chaudenet and, finally, chardonnay in the Chalon-sur-Saône Ampelography of 1896, when the current name was established.
Researchers have discovered that chardonnay is a genetic descendant of Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc, old Burgundy grape varieties that were crossed with Pinot Noir to produce modern chardonnay.
For centuries, the Chardonnay grape was believed to grow in the same region of France as Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc, as well as other grape varieties. According to ampelographers, the leaves of each plant were similar in shape and structure, so there was supposed to be a connection between them. Pierre Galet, on the other hand, refuted this notion, believing that chardonnay had no link with another grape variety.
As it was one step away from white muscat, winegrowers Maynard Amerine and Harold Olmo suggested that it was descended from a wild strain of vitis vinifera. Since vineyard owners in Lebanon and Syria claimed that the origins of chardonnay could be traced back to the Middle East, from where it was introduced to Europe by returning Crusaders, little external evidence supported this theory. Another theory stated that it came from an ancient native vine Vitis vinifera found in Cyprus.
Research on modified DNA fingerprints carried out at the University of California at Davis now suggests that chardonnay is the result of a cross between the varieties Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc (Heunisch). It is believed that the Romans brought gouais blanc from Croatia and that it was widely cultivated by peasants in eastern France.
Because French Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc grapes grew close to each other, many of the crossed grapes were vigorous and were later planted for wide distribution. Many of these crosses, such as Aligoté, Aubin Vert, Auxerrois, Bachet Noir, Beaunoir, Franc Noir de la-Haute-Saone, Gamay Blanc Gloriod, Gamay Blanc Gloriod, Gamay Noir, Melon, Knipperlé, Peurion, Roublot, Sacy and Dameron, showed hybrid vigour and were therefore selected for wide dissemination.
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