Vitis vinifera 'Chardonnay' (O/W)

RHS Plant Profile
grape 'Chardonnay'

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One of the great classic white wines, for outdoor or greenhouse cultivation, with healthy, deliciously sweet, small, golden grapes. Can be grown as a dessert grape for eating straight from the vine as well as for wine making. Good yields ripen in late summer or early autumn

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

8-12 metres

Max Spread

4-8 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
5–10 years
Max Spread
4-8 metres
Max Height
8-12 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH
Alkaline

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H5

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Vitaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Climbing
Potentially harmful
Pets (dogs): Harmful if eaten whether fruits are edible or ornamental - for further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus
Vitis are vigorous deciduous climbing shrubs with tendrils and attractively lobed leaves, insignificant green flowers followed by often edible fruits; some have excellent autumn foliage colour
Name Status
Unresolved
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea

Suitable for outdoor cultivation

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow outdoors in full sun, in well-drained, humus-rich soil, preferably neutral to slightly alkaline, mulch to keep soil moist, and provide support; for more advice, see outdoor grape cultivation. Grow indoors in a greenhouse or conservatory to produce a good crop in cold areas, for detailed advice see indoor grape cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by hardwood cuttings in late autumn or winter, or by softwood cuttings or semi-ripe cuttings from late spring to midsummer or grafting onto Phylloxera resistant rootstocks

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Mediterranean climate plants
  • Climber and wall shrubs
  • Conservatory and greenhouse
  • Edible fruit
  • Wall side borders

Pruning

Pruning is required to encourage flowering and fruiting, and to increase air circulation and so reduce the risk of disease: see grape pruning and training

Pests

May be susceptible to grapevine blister mite, glasshouse red spider mite, brown scale, woolly vine scale and spotted wing drosophila (fruit fly) and may be susceptible to mealybugs under glass

Diseases

May be susceptible to Powdery mildews, grey moulds, honey fungus and virus diseases. For further advice see grapevine diseases