Chardonnay - Other Countries - Spain
There is a wide selection of Spanish wine regions that produce chardonnay. In an effort to improve the global marketing of wine, some Spanish regions began planting chardonnay and cabernet grapes. However, this decision had an adverse effect, as fans prefer unique and different wines.
The regions of Catalonia, specifically Panadés, and Navarra were the most popular areas for growing these vines. Panadés had about 1,000 hectares of chardonnay and 1,200 hectares of cabernet in 2002.
International Spanish grape varieties received a significant boost in popularity, especially in 1979. This was due to a competition organized by the French magazine Gault-Millau, which was essentially a “Wine Olympiad”. A Spanish wine, Gran Coronas Etiqueta Negra (currently known as Mas La Plana), made from a 1970 vintage with a substantial amount of Cabernet Sauvignon, some Tempranillo, and aged in American oak, surpassed several high-quality French wines such as Château Latour.
When it comes to grape varieties, Castilla-La Mancha tends to have higher figures. Although it only represents 1.2% of the vineyard, chardonnay covers an area of 2,300 hectares, more than double that of the Côte d’Or in Burgundy, where it only covers about 1,000 hectares.
Cuando se habla de variedades de uva, Castilla-La Mancha suele tener cifras más elevadas. A pesar de que sólo representa el 1,2% del viñedo, el chardonnay ocupa una superficie de 2.300 hectáreas, más del doble que en la Côte d’Or de Borgoña, donde sólo ocupa unas 1.000 hectáreas.
Cava is the most popular Spanish sparkling white wine made by Freixenet and Codorníu, both located in the Panadés region, in San Sadurní de Noya. While Codorníu prefers to use chardonnay in its production process, Freixenet does not. Codorníu offers different ranges of wine with different quantities of chardonnay, ranging from high percentages to 100%.
Although some champagne brands use the Chardonnay grape in their production, it is not a widely used ingredient. Some brands that do include chardonnay only do so in specific ranges or in small percentages. For example, Can Feixes and Julia & Navines, both located in Panadés, use 14% chardonnay and a range respectively. Bodegas Escudero, located in La Rioja, produces two ranges of champagne with viura, but it also has a third range made entirely with chardonnay.