(Wines&Vines) - Chardonnay is by far the most popular wine in America, and Chardonnay is the natural partner to Pinot Noir around the world—except in Oregon. Chardonnay would seem a natural fit for Oregon with its Burgundian climate, yet growers in Oregon long ago chose Pinot Gris as their favored white wine. The numbers tell the story: • 12,560 acres Pinot Noir • 2,590 acres Pinot Gris • 950 acres Chardonnay In the past dozen years, however, a group of determined growers and winemakers have worked to change the reality and perception of Oregon Chardonnay. If the wines sampled at the recent Oregon Wine Board Unwine’d Oregon tasting and visits to wineries there are any indication, things are turning around.