It's the chardonnay paradox: How is it that the No. 1-selling grape varietal in this country, chardonnay, is the least favorite of sommeliers? And if consumers are given a choice between chardonnay or other interesting white wines at wine-tasting events, chardonnay is often overlooked.

I can't tell you how many times I have poured at tasting events, and found that the only full bottles of white wine left behind were chardonnay. There is even a loosely organized club called A.B.C, which stands for Anything But Chardonnay. So how is it that chardonnay is America's sweetheart grape, with average consumers seemingly unable to get enough of it, but not particularly popular with many professionals, wine snobs and those A.B.C club members?

Perhaps the fact that chardonnay was the first 20th-century American wine to capture the attention of the world might have something to do with it. In 1976, a panel of French wine experts blind-tasted several chardonnays (mostly from France) and shocked the world when they decided that the best chardonnay in the group was a 1973 Napa Valley chardonnay from Mike Grgich. (Grgich Hills Winery is still famous today for its chardonnay as well as other varieties.)

When I ask the question of wine professionals, we all seem to come to the same conclusion: Chardonnay is easier to pronounce than the names of many other wine varietals, hence easier to remember. Chardonnay is much easier to pronounce, for example, than semillon (seh mee yohn), viognier (vee oh nyay), riesling (rees sling), gewurztraminer (ga VERZ tra mee ner), pinot noir (pee noh nwahr) or cabernet sauvignon (cab er nay soh vee nyon). It is a little intimidating to order a wine that is not easy to pronounce.

I suspect another reason why chardonnay has gained such so much attention is because of branding, an essential concept in marketing. You would be hard-pressed to find a restaurant wine list in this country that lacks chardonnay available by the glass or a store that doesn't stock several different chardonnays. Semillon or viognier, on the other hand, can be difficult to find in grocery stores or even on many restaurant wine lists.

Perhaps another reason why chardonnay is so popular is because we are more familiar with it than any other grape, and familiarity is comfortable. Who wants to risk spending $20 to $40 for a wine we might not enjoy? At least with chardonnay, we know what we are getting.

It's still hard from me to dismiss the fact that people have always chosen chardonnay above any other grape varietal in this country.

So do we drink chardonnay because we really love it? Or do we drink it because it's easy to pronounce, it's familiar and it's better marketed and therefore widely available? An interesting and unanswerable question.

But the next time you think of having a glass of white wine, pause for a moment before selecting chardonnay and ask yourself, do I really like this wine? If you're unsure of your answer, then you may want to sign up with the A.B.C. club and start exploring other white wines. But if you're convinced you enjoy chardonnay, then stand proud — because millions of consumers agree with your taste preference.

Here are a few recommendations of complex and distinctly different chardonnays. (Great chardonnays typically come with a pretty hefty price tag.)