Why is chardonnay the most popular (most widely available) varietel of white wine? Is it the ease of growing the chardonnay grape? Is there actually significantly more demand for chardonnay than other white wines?
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: Wine drinkers often have no idea of the best wines, and have a very difficult time telling them apart. They are, however, very concerned about image. Chardonnay has the virtue of being a very classy sounding name, while being exceptionally easy for the French-language-challenged to pronounce. Ultimately, who cares? They will be happy–especially by the time they get to the bottom of the carafe. (BTW, chardonnay is also easy to produce, in different climates, comes in a variety of styles, and goes well with so many foods.)