Anything But Chardonnay (ABC)
Definition - What does Anything But Chardonnay (ABC) mean?
Anything but Chardonnay (ABC) is a term used to describe a movement away from the popularity of wines made from the Chardonnay grape to showcase lesser known varietals made from other white grapes. Vineyards can use the term as a marketing gimmick to sell gift collections of their other white wines. It is also a popular wine-tasting party theme.
WineFrog explains Anything But Chardonnay (ABC)
Chardonnay is one of the most widely grown grapes in all of the popular wine regions in the world, the United States, Europe, Argentina, Chile and Australia. It reached its peak of popularity in the 1980’s and 1990’s and has continued to dominate into the present day wine scene. As more New World winemakers responded to this popularity with mass plantings of the Chardonnay grape, the trend began to shift again towards red wines and lighter whites. The strong oak of the new Chardonnays put off many connoisseurs, and they sought fresher alternatives.
Although Chardonnay is widely available everywhere, a believer of "ABC" would claim that it can be hard to find one that is both drinkable and affordable. "Anything but Chardonnay" emphasizes other viable choices to expand the selection of white wines, especially in the summer, including: Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris), Chenin Blanc, Viognier, among others.
Despite the Anything but Chardonnay movement, the grape has weathered the backlash well, remaining one of the top six varietals planted, covering an estimated 443,000 acres across the globe.
