Chardonnay is a white grape from Burgundy that has become one of Italy's most important international varieties, the backbone of the country's finest traditional-method sparkling wines and the source of complex still whites from the Alps to Sicily. In Italy it is grown above all in Lombardy, Trentino, Alto Adige, Friuli Venezia Giulia and Piedmont.
Italian growers planted Chardonnay in the nineteenth century, often mixed with Pinot Bianco, and for decades the two were not even told apart in the vineyard: Chardonnay was only recognized as a separate variety in Italian registers in 1978. Since then it has found two clear roles. In the cool, sub-Alpine north it gives the acidity and finesse needed for sparkling wine; on warmer hillsides it makes rich, textured still whites.
The single biggest home of Italian Chardonnay is Franciacorta, the rolling moraine hills south of Lake Iseo in Lombardy. Here Chardonnay dominates the vineyards, and the lake moderates temperatures so the grapes ripen slowly while keeping their freshness.
Further north, the steep valleys of Trentino supply the base wine for Trento DOC sparkling wines. Vineyards climb to 600 metres and more, and the large difference between day and night temperatures gives Trentino Chardonnay a crisp, mountain character.
In Alto Adige and Friuli, Chardonnay is mostly made as a still wine. Alto Adige versions are precise and mineral; Friulian ones, from the Collio and the Colli Orientali, tend to be broader, sometimes fermented and aged in oak. In Piedmont Chardonnay feeds the Alta Langa sparkling wines and a handful of celebrated still wines from the Langhe, while in Sicily and Tuscany producers make riper, sun-drenched styles.
Franciacorta DOCG is Italy's leading traditional-method sparkling wine and Chardonnay is its main grape, joined by Pinot Nero, Pinot Bianco and the local Erbamat. Non-vintage Franciacorta must age at least 18 months on its lees, vintage (millesimato) wines 30 months and Riserva 60 months. The Satèn style is made only from white grapes, mainly Chardonnay, at a lower pressure that gives a softer, creamier mousse.
Trento DOC covers mountain sparkling wines made by the traditional method from Chardonnay, Pinot Nero, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Meunier, with Chardonnay usually in the lead.
Alta Langa DOCG is Piedmont's answer: vintage-dated traditional-method sparkling wines from Pinot Nero and Chardonnay grown on high hills, aged at least 30 months on the lees.
For still wines, look for Alto Adige/Südtirol DOC, Collio DOC, Langhe DOC, and the IGTs that give producers freedom of style, such as Venezia Giulia IGT, Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT and Toscana IGT.
Chardonnay is famously shaped by place and winemaking, and Italy shows its full range.
Quality Italian Chardonnay, still or sparkling, ages well: top Franciacorta Riserva and barrel-aged whites develop honey, dried fruit and toasted notes over five to ten years.
If you love sparkling wine, start with a non-vintage Franciacorta or Trento DOC brut: they are the most direct comparison with Champagne, made the same way from largely the same grapes. Move on to a vintage or Satèn bottling, then to an Alta Langa. Our guide to Italian sparkling wine and the best Franciacorta wines cover the main producers.
For still Chardonnay, an Alto Adige bottling is the safest first step: fresh, precise and usually well priced. If you prefer a fuller, oak-influenced style, look to Friuli, the Langhe or Sicily. Label words worth knowing:
Among the best-known names are Bellavista, Ca' del Bosco and Berlucchi in Franciacorta, Ferrari in Trentino and Jermann in Friuli.
To compare Chardonnay with the other varieties used in Italian sparkling wine, see Glera, the grape of Prosecco, and the full grape varieties index.