This was not so until recent years; it has been sought after by wine producers because of its popularity.

So, why is it popular? Because it is used to make some of the world's classic wines, it is relatively easy to grow, it makes a good wine with or without oak and can produce a variety of different styles, flavours and tastes depending on how it is made.

Before its recent popularity it was known as a French wine as so many wonderful and attractive classic wines were made of it.

It is one of three main grape varieties used to make champagne and some champagnes, known as "Blanc de Blancs" are made from chardonnay only. These are usually the lighter, more delicate champagnes. Chardonnay is not oaked in champagne.

In the northernmost part of Burgundy, Chablis wines - Petit Chablis, Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru and Chablis Grande Cru - are also made of 100 per cent Chardonnay grapes. Some are oaked, according to the winemakers preference, but never heavily oaked.

Further south in Burgundy, Chardonnay is the king of white wines, producing basic Burgundy whites to the most expensive, world renowned wines.

Chardonnay has spread to most French wine producing areas and thence to most other "old world" wine producing countries.

Although Italy and Spain have wonderful and wide-ranging varieties of local grapes, many wine producing areas in those countries are now growing Chardonnay grapes.

Even Germany now produces a little as do some of the eastern european countries such as Slovenia, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania.

In the New World, America, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and several South American countries produce Chardonnay wines.

There is a tendency in the New World to oak Chardonnay, either by fermenting it in barrels, aging it in barrels or attempting to achieve the same effect by throwing into the fermenting containers, pillow-case sized "tea bags" of oak chips.

Although usually oaked, New Zealand Chardonnays tend to be lighter in style than most new world bottles. American and Australian Chardonnays, almost always oaked, can be very impressive, classic styles wines - but these are very expensive.

Cheap Chardonnays from these countries are very variable and can be cheap and sometimes nasty. But, sometimes you can find a bargain.

All this may be very well but what do these wines taste like? What flavours are typical of Chardonnay and what difference does the oak make?

Many wine writers refer to the grapes distinctive qualities but usually without caring to tell us what these are. Unoaked Chardonnays can be appley in the mouth and very dry when young.

If oaked, the wine takes on a vanilla-like character and the oak can lessen the effect of dryness.

After the passage of time, the wines can odopt buttery flavours and the dryness should lessen further. When oak is used, the important thing is the balance of oak flavour with wine flavours - if oak overshadows fruit, the wines appeal is lost.

The worldwide popularity of this grape variety has been good for France as most of the wine producing countries all over the world have obtained their young vines from that country.

Also, French-made barrels have been exported in enormous quantities to wine makers wishing to impart an oaky flavour to their product.