Collection: International Chardonnay Day 2026

International Chardonnay Day 2026 — Thursday, 21 May 2026

International Chardonnay Day is celebrated annually on the Thursday before Memorial Day in the United States — and in 2026 that falls on Thursday, 21 May. It is a global holiday dedicated to the world’s most popular white wine grape, bringing together wine lovers, producers, and enthusiasts from every corner of the world to celebrate the extraordinary diversity, versatility, and quality of Chardonnay. From the steely, mineral Chablis of northern Burgundy to the rich, barrel-fermented expressions of Margaret River and the elegant, cool-climate Chardonnays of Victoria’s Yarra Valley, Beechworth, and Mornington Peninsula, Chardonnay is a variety of extraordinary range and adaptability — capable of producing wines of world-class quality in virtually every wine-growing climate on earth.

To celebrate International Chardonnay Day 2026, we have curated a collection of eighteen exceptional Chardonnays from Australia’s finest cool-climate regions and the spiritual home of the variety in Burgundy, France — spanning a range of styles, regions, and price points that showcases the full breadth and brilliance of this remarkable grape.

Chardonnay: The Grape & Its Heritage

Chardonnay is believed to have originated in the Burgundy region of eastern France — specifically in the village of Chardonnay in the Mâconnais, from which it takes its name — where it has been cultivated for centuries and where it produces the great white wines of the Côte de Beaune (Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet) and the steely, mineral Chablis of the northernmost Burgundy appellation. DNA analysis has confirmed that Chardonnay is a natural cross between Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc — two ancient varieties widely cultivated in medieval France — making it a sibling of many of Burgundy’s other great varieties.

Chardonnay’s extraordinary success as a global variety is a consequence of its remarkable adaptability: unlike many varieties that express themselves best only in a narrow range of climates and soils, Chardonnay produces wines of genuine quality and character across an extraordinary range of conditions — from the cool, continental climate of Chablis (where it produces wines of steely acidity and mineral precision) to the warm, Mediterranean climate of Margaret River (where it produces wines of generous fruit, natural acidity, and barrel-fermented complexity). It is this adaptability — combined with the variety’s natural affinity for oak fermentation and maturation, and its ability to express the character of the site from which it is grown with extraordinary fidelity — that has made Chardonnay the world’s most widely planted and celebrated white wine grape.

How to Celebrate International Chardonnay Day 2026

Whether you open a bottle of something approachable and immediately enjoyable or seek out a wine of genuine critical acclaim and cellaring potential, our collection has a Chardonnay for every palate and every occasion — from $12.99 (Mystery Wine Gippsland) to $119.99 (Savaterre Beechworth, 96+ Points). Share your glass on social media with #ChardonnayDay and join wine lovers around the world in celebrating the most versatile white wine grape on earth.

Explore our full International Chardonnay Day 2026 collection below and raise a glass to the world’s most celebrated white wine — on Thursday, 21 May 2026.