Chardonnay is a relative newcomer to the New World vineyards of California. The first vines in California were planted in the 1770s by Spanish missionaries coming north from Mexico. Chardonnay arrived in Napa just over a century later in the 1880s, notably in the famed To Kalon vineyards. A few years later cuttings from Napa were planted in the Livermore Valley, east of San Francisco by Ernest Wente in the Wente estate vineyards in Livermore. Another Chardonnay pioneer, Paul Masson imported wines directly from France for his vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco.

十九世纪末期至二十四级初期，许多白葡萄酒无论葡萄品种，就表上一律标的是霞布利（Chabils）。加利福尼亚的霞多丽早期的酒标也不例外。1983年，第一瓶标注有霞多丽的葡萄酒由文特酒庄出售，当时这款酒并不畅销。

Early bottlings of Chardonnay in California were often labeled Chablis, as wee many white wines bottled there in the late 19th and early 20th century, no matter what grape they were made from. The first wine labeled Chardonnay was sold by Wente in 1938, but at the time it never became a big seller.

到了1960年，加利福尼亚的霞多丽仅剩150英亩，与今天的95000英亩的种植量相比，简直不不可同日而语。

Sadly, by 1960, it is estimated there were only 150 acres of Chardonnay growing in California, compared to the 95,000 acres planted today.

1976年霞多丽有了新突破，在著名的“巴黎之评”盲品会（Judgetment of Paris）中,美国芒得力纳酒庄（Chatuau Montelena）的霞多丽葡萄酒打败了法国勃艮第特级园白酒，获得首奖。于是，在这之后霞多丽葡萄酒的产量急剧成长，这也促进了二十世纪七八十年代白葡萄酒产量的激增。这时，美国人开始了解葡萄酒，对他们来说霞多丽就等于白葡萄酒的代名词。

The breakthrough for Chardonnay came in 1976 when a Château Montelena Chardonnay took top prize over some of the best French Burgundies at the famous ‘Judgment of Paris’ wine tasting. Chardonnay production increased dramatically following that and helped spur the white wine boom of the 1970s and 1980s as Americans began to discover wine and seemed to regard Chardonnay as the only white wine.

但是，谈葡萄酒的销售数量和葡萄的种植面积是一回事。，杯中是否为佳酿又是另一回事。葡萄酒的质量如何？葡萄酒的风格又如何？这就得另当别伦了。

But what of wine quality? What of wine style? It is all very well to talk about the number of bottles sold and acres planted, but what of the wine in the glass? That is, indeed, a different story.

在加利福尼亚，因为没有终止霞多丽或其他类似的白葡萄品种的历史文献，因此在种植霞多丽时几乎没有考虑到土壤和微气候等因素。加利福尼亚大学戴维斯（Davis）分校，是加州研究葡萄栽培和葡萄酒酿制的首席学校，去完全忽视地（Terroir）的概念，亦即当地风土对葡萄栽种的影响，甚至误导葡萄酒生产商唯一会影响葡萄生长的因素是阳光。在加利福尼亚日照充沛，但在某些地方却有过度暴晒之虞。

Because there was no history of growing Chardonnay in California, or any other wine grape for that matter, it was planted with little regard for soil or micro-climate. California’s chief school of viticulture and enology at the University of California at Davis largely ignored the concept of terroir, that wine is shaped by where it grows, and taught winemakers that virtually the only thing that mattered was sunshine. And there is plenty of sunshine in California, maybe too much in some cases.

霞多丽种植在肥沃的土壤和温暖的维气候中，这导致葡萄酒酒体油滑，缺乏酸度，口感乏味，和勃艮第的葡萄酒当然无法相提并论。这些葡萄酒导致葡萄酒评论家和消费者们发起了非正式的白葡萄酒ABC运动。（Anything but Chardonnay除了霞多丽，什么都行）ABC运动让加利福尼亚的葡萄酒生产商们考虑种植其他白葡萄品种，如长相思（Sauvignon Blanc）、蔚优聂（Voignier）、雷司令（Riesling）等。

Chardonnay planted on rich soils in warm micro-climates lead to wines that are fat and flabby, low in acid and dull on the palate. Nothing at all, of course, like the wines made in Burgundy. These are the wines that inspired wine critics and consumers to create the informal ABC movement---Anything But Chardonnay. The ABC movement did lead California winemakers to consider other white wine grapes, leading to the production of excellent Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Riesling and other white varieties. However, that is another story.

当然，这一期间酿制出了不少优质的霞多丽葡萄酒。例如，在二十世纪七十年代，酿酒师理查德阿洛伍德（Richard Arrowood）在圣杰堡（Chateau St. Jean）开始从北部海岸的几个单一葡萄园中挑选出霞多丽来酿制葡萄酒。这些制定葡萄园酿出的优质酒让其他种植者相信，霞多丽的种植地点至关重要。加利福尼亚的酿酒师们最终发现了地的重要性，并开始烛照霞多丽的最佳种植地。

Of course, there were always a few good Chardonnays made all through this period. As an example, In the 1970s, winemakers Richard Arrowood at Château St. Jean began making Chardonnay from several different single vineyards on the North Coast. These vineyards designated wines helped convince other growers that where Chardonnay is planted is of prime importance. California winemakers had finally discovered terrior and the search began for the best sites to grow Chardonnay.

寻觅最佳种植地的工作仍在持续进行中。目前，在加利福尼亚种植霞多丽的最佳在美国葡萄酒法定产区（American Viticultural Areas,简称AVA）包括北海岸线上的俄罗斯河谷（Russian River Valley）、绿谷（Green Valley）、索诺玛海岸（Sonoma Coast）、卡内螺蛳（Carneros）以及中部海岸线的圣塔马瑞亚谷（Santa Mariana Valley）。这些AVA产区，从北部的索诺玛郡（Sonoma County）到南部的圣芭芭郡Santa Barbara County）都是相对凉爽的地区，其实这并不奇怪，因为霞多丽这一葡萄品种起源于勃艮第。（

That search is still very much a work in progress. At the moment, the best AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) in California to grow Chardonnay are the Russian River Valley, Green Valley, Sonoma Coast and Carneros on the North Coast and the Santa Maria Valley on the Central Coast. These AVAs, ranging from Sonoma Country in the north to Santa Barbara country in the south, are all relatively cool regions, not surprising given the grape’s origin in Burgundy.

上述地区共同特点是位于海岸与峡谷交界处，何故和脊线上的瀑布经常雨雾缭绕。葡萄就在这种背倚加利福尼亚阳光，面用太平洋寒雾的干燥凉爽环境下生长。许多沿海的葡萄园往往迟至午后才拨雾见日。每一次葡萄收获都 骰子，是和大地之母的一场赌博：今年葡萄是否会成熟？如果成熟了，那么好就将孕育而生。

These regions are right at the edge of where wine grapes can ripen, turning their back, as it were, on California sunshine and embracing the chilly fog off the Pacific which pushes up the river canyons and cascades over the ridge lines. Many vineyards near the coast do not see the sun until late morning or even after noon, when the fog finally lifts. Every harvest is a roll of the dice, playing a game of chance with Mother Nature: will the grapes ripen this year? When they do, the results can be very good indeed.

现在谈论这些地区的特定风格为时过早，但至少他们都有钢铁般的高矿石味和激动人心的强烈果味，特别是来自俄罗斯河谷和索诺玛海岸的葡萄酒。卡内罗斯的葡萄酒带来活泼二吸引人的果味，让人不禁想要再来一杯。在圣芭芭郡的北部一点的地区，有这辛辣和热带水果的风味。

It is still too early to talk about definitive styles from these regions. At best, they share a steely minerality, an intensity of fruit that can be breathtaking, especially those from the Russian River Valley and the Sonoma Coast. Wines from Carneros offer a lively and charming fruit profile that keeps you reaching for another glass. Further south in Santa Barbara Country, the wines are somewhat more lush, taking on elements of spice and tropical fruit flavors.

那么对比新兴的加利福尼亚霞多丽和原始的勃艮第白葡萄酒各自的风格，会有什么发现呢？勃艮第的酿酒师们有着丰富的经验生产单一葡萄园的葡萄酒和顶级的混酿葡萄酒，加利福尼亚的霞多丽正在快速发展，但总体上还是落后于勃艮第。

So how do these emerging styles of California Chardonnay compare to the original, the white wines of Burgundy? The winegrowers of Burgundy have had centuries to get it right, producing great single vineyard wines as well as superb blends. California is on the fast track but overall is still lagging Burgundy.

虽然最优质的加利福尼亚霞多丽可以与最佳的勃艮第葡萄酒每年都有着优质的质量，他的浓郁度和酒的劲道是新世界的霞多丽难以媲美的。

Although the very best of California can equal the best Burgundy, on a consistent year-to-year basis, Burgundy has a concentration and power that the New World has seldom matched.

话虽如此，我预测在接下来的十年中这一情况将发生变化。很多加州霞多丽令人兴奋，显示出了极大的发展希望，随着加州的葡萄种植者们发掘跟多适宜种植霞多丽的地区，霞多丽的质量将突飞猛进。

Having said that, I also predict that in the next decade, that equation will change. There are dozens of exciting new California Chardonnay that show great promise and as California winegrowers learn more about where to grow Chardonnay, quality will be on a steep upward curve.

然而，值得一提的是新世界的霞多丽葡萄酒永远不会成为勃艮第的霞多丽葡萄酒，反之亦然。我们将二者做对比是因为我们都有同一种葡萄品种酿成，但其他因素如土壤、气候、葡萄园如何种植葡萄等都是不同的。加州的葡萄种植者们应该种植出最好的加州最好的霞多丽而不是试图去复制出“另个勃艮第”。

However, it is also worth remembering that New World Chardonnay will never be Burgundy nor will Burgundy ever be like California Chardonnay. We compare them because they are made from the same grape but everything else--- the soil, the climate, how the vineyards are farmed--- is different. In the end, California winegrowers should make the best California Chardonnay they can make rather than try to make ‘another Burgundy’.

在北美其他地方，还有来自华盛顿州的霞多丽，但它们似乎没有成为改地区的优势品种之一。在纽约州的五指湖产区（Finger Lakes Region）生产极佳的霞多丽，酿制成朴素的夏布利风格。但产量十分有限，很少能在纽约州以外的地方寻觅到。

Elsewhere in North America, there are some pleasant Chardonnays from Washington state but it does not seem to be one of the strengths of that region. There are also some excellent Chardonnays in the Finger Lakes region of New York state, made in an austere Chablis-like style. Production is very limited and the wines are rarely found outside of New York.

其余的新世界产区中，产自智利凉爽的卡萨布兰卡谷（Casablanca Valley）的霞多丽邻人印象深刻；阿根廷海拔交工啊的葡萄园中同样可以产出优质的霞多丽。 在两国霞多丽的葡萄种植面积增加，其生产的葡萄酒物有所值，虽然其风格为国际化的商业风格。

In the rest of the New World, some impressive Chardonnay is being made in the cool Casablanca Valley of Chile; higher elevation vineyards in Argentina are also capable of producing very good Chardonnay. Plantings are increasing in both countries and the wine represents good value for money, although often made in a commercial international style.

在二十世纪八十年代，在澳大利亚发展处了一种非常受欢迎的霞多丽风格，带着明显的果味和橡木味。此酒曾在世界商场上很受欢迎且价格实惠。

In the 1980s, a very popular style of Chardonnay was developed in Australia offering forward fruit and rather obvious oak flavors. The wine became quite popular on the world market at bargain price points.

总之，新世界霞多丽已经广受欢迎，某些霞多丽葡萄酒另人印象深刻，最好的新世界霞多丽与勃艮第霞多丽截然不同。毕竟，不是所有的新世界霞多丽都是最优质的。葡萄酒不可思议指出便在于它的多样性，我们已经有了勃艮第的霞多丽，我们还有来自加利福尼亚、智利和其他地区的霞多丽，这岂不是一件乐事？

我想说，多多益善。

In sum, while New World Chardonnay has become wildly popular and is, in some cases a very impressive wine, it is even at its best a very different wine than Burgundy. And, after all, isn’t that all for the best? The marvelous thing about wine is the great variety available. After all, we already have Burgundy, isn’t it a treat that we also have Chardonnay from California, Chile and elsewhere?