Actually, he he can make as many as 16 separate batches of wine from different parts of his vineyards and from clones from his chardonnay vines.

Thirteen now hold chardonnay vines, and three are planted to cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, which are earmarked for blending in the merlot.

Growers, particularly in California, have planted thousands of acres of chardonnay vines and hover over them like nervous parents watching their children grow.

This popularity is mirrored in the quantity of chardonnay vines planted throughout their state.

Kendall-Jackson, which has acquired six vineyards in Monterey, most of them planted in chardonnay vines, has begun building a large winery at the southern end of Monterey County and has hired Dan Kleck, the winemaker at Palmer Vineyards on Long Island, to run it.

California, the country's principal source of wine grapes, had 73,000 acres of chardonnay vines last year, according to Wines and Vines, a trade publication, compared with 11,000 acres of sauvignon blanc, the second most popular white variety.

But next to the full-bodied rows are chardonnay vines in sandy soil that are obviously sick.

Like at most big games, the crowd in Sonoma was predominately male and occasionally rowdy, clapping and cheering as the pruners snipped, hacked and yanked a series of rugged chardonnay vines into shape.

Forty acres at Sagpond are planted primarily in chardonnay vines.

The richness and intensity of a great Montrachet can be attributed in some measure to the age of the chardonnay vines.