If you walk into a wine shop and see a bottle labeled “Chardonnay Rose,” you might assume it’s a mistake. You’re not mistaken — it’s just a rare mutation of the common Chardonnay grape that happens to have pink skin. The grape is catching on with a few adventurous winemakers, even though only a handful of producers worldwide bottle it as a single varietal.
Do not mistake the pink mutation for rosé wine, which is produced by briefly leaving red grape juice in contact with its skins. Pink Chardonnay instead represents a separate genetic change within the white grape variety, giving its berries a rosy color. It occupies a modest but expanding niche in the wine industry, and those who produce it tend to be natural wine devotees who regard the grape as a side pursuit rather than a serious business venture.
The Origin Story
In Arbois, France, in the Jura region, Stéphane Tissot farms and makes wine. He is credited with being among the first to bottle Chardonnay Rose as a single varietal wine. The pink-skinned mutation first appeared there. In 2004, he bought an old vineyard and found thirty bunches of it amid the regular Chardonnay vines.
“I bought an old vineyard in 2004, and in the middle of it there were around 30 bunches of Chardonnay Rose,” says Tissot. “And from that, I picked and selected a handful and planted almost one hectare in total.”
In almost every respect, the mutation resembles the mother grape. Its acidity sits somewhat lower, and its skin carries a rosy hue. Yet Tissot characterizes it as hardier and less fragile than the ordinary Chardonnay.
“It’s just a little bit more rustic, a bit less fragile, a bit firmer, a bit more dense than typical Chardonnay,” he says.
The Spread From Jura
Burgundy was where the pink Chardonnay first appeared in the early 1900s. Whether it survives hinges on curious winemakers choosing to clip and replant the mutation, a process similar to how Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc spread through propagation. Tissot used massal selection to grow his vine — selecting the finest pink bunches and planting them into a full one-hectare plot.
Thanks to the many old vine Chardonnay plots in the area, the Jura region has turned into a testing ground for mutations and experimental wines. This has made it a center for the grape.
Champagne added the grape to its roster of permitted varieties last year, giving it wider recognition around the world. Yet producers in the region have not fully embraced the new addition.
Rajat Parr’s American Experiment
The winery collective led by Rajat Parr now grows a particular parcel of Pink Chardonnay in the San Luis Obispo Coast of California. That group includes Phelan Farm, Scythian Wine Co., and Brij Wines. This is the first time Pink Chardonnay has been made in the United States.
On California’s Central Coast, Parr cultivates cool-climate varieties. Under the Phelan Farm label, his attention turns to grapes from the Jura and nearby alpine areas, including Poulsard, Trousseau, and Mondeuse. The cool climate where his Pink Chardonnay is grown aids in maintaining its acidity.
“It grows very much like regular Chardonnay,” Parr says. “You have to pick it when the skins are ripe and when they are pink. So, it needs to grow in a cool climate because if it’s grown in a warm place, then it’ll lose all of its acidity by time it gets that color.”
Limited Production
Tissot says he makes only 2,000 to 4,000 bottles of his Chardonnay Rose cuvée ‘Rose Massale’ annually, which keeps production extremely small. Parr’s numbers are similar: she reports making just 20 to 50 cases per harvest, and she sells almost all of them through a direct-to-consumer mailing list.
At New York City’s Chez Fifi and Sushi Noz, Tira Johnson, corporate beverage director for the We All Gotta Eat Group, features single varietal Pink Chardonnay on her heavy-hitting bottle lists. She points out that the grape offers a particularly fun adventure for Burgundy and Jura drinkers.
“I love introducing them to something new and different that’s not so wild and crazy,” Johnson says. “Pink Chardonnays have a really beautiful texture. I don’t notice a huge difference from regular Chardonnay, but there is something so special about it.”
There’s the occasional pedantic diner who insists Chardonnay can’t make a rosé. Johnson enjoys the opportunity to present a familiar but altogether new grape to her clients.
The Future of Pink Chardonnay
Last year, Champagne’s allowance of the grape as a permissible variety gave Pink Chardonnay some measure of worldwide attention, even though many wine drinkers remain unaware of it. Both Tissot and Johnson expect that many Champagne producers will start planting the mutation.
“I don’t know of any Champagne producers that are doing singular Chardonnay Rose bottlings, but I could totally see producers like Laherte Frères doing that — people who love experimenting with different grape varieties,” Johnson says. “I think it’s such a cool, compelling wine, and 20 years from now, it could be a relevant grape variety.”
This particular grape remains largely unknown, with only a small number of winemakers worldwide working with it, and an even smaller number producing single varietal expressions. The Jura region’s recent surge in popularity, driven by beloved niche producers like Tissot, has created ideal conditions for mutations and experimental wines. One such experiment, Pink Chardonnay, appears to be gaining traction.
Whether it becomes a relevant grape variety in 20 years remains to be seen. For now, it’s a fun adventure for Burgundy and Jura drinkers, and a hobby horse for the natural wine set. The grape’s future depends on the curious winemakers who decide to clip and replant it.
Key Facts Box
- Over 520,000 acres of Chardonnay vines planted worldwide
- Pink Chardonnay first popped up in Burgundy in the early 1900s
- Tissot found thirty bunches of pink berries in 2004
- Tissot planted one hectare from a handful of selected bunches
- Tissot yields 2,000 to 4,000 bottles of ‘Rose Massale’ a year
- Parr yields 20 to 50 cases per vintage
- Champagne added the grape to its list of permissible varieties last year
What Winemakers Grow With It
- Poulsard
- Trousseau
- Mondeuse
The grape occupies a small corner of a larger narrative. The Jura region’s growing appeal, driven by beloved niche producers such as Tissot, has turned it into fertile ground for mutations and experimental wines. Pink Chardonnay is one such experiment, and it appears to be taking hold.
Whether it becomes a relevant grape variety in 20 years remains to be seen. For now, it’s a fun adventure for Burgundy and Jura drinkers, and a hobby horse for the natural wine set. The grape’s future depends on the curious winemakers who decide to clip and replant it.
Source material: “Ask a Wine Pro: What Is Pink Chardonnay?,” VinePair.
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