Viognier: A Fragrant Grape Variety with Enchanting Floral Character
With its golden-hued skin resembling that of a fair-haired sprite, Viognier is a grape variety known for its captivating floral aromas. If you’re entranced by floral fragrances, Viognier deserves a prime spot on your favorites list. Viognier wines emit delicate scents of oranges, peaches, mangoes, honeysuckle, orange blossom, hawthorn, and rose petals. Additionally, they feature opulent notes reminiscent of creamy nutmeg, almonds, vanilla, and cloves. On the palate, Viognier offers a rounded, full-bodied experience with a slightly elevated alcohol content, mild acidity, and a smooth texture that occasionally carries subtle mineral hints. Similar to Chardonnay, Viognier displays versatile styles, providing diverse expressions based on winemaking methods and surroundings. Whether crafted in a dry, semi-dry, or sweet style, this grape offers a spectrum of possibilities.
Origins of Viognier
Viognier’s history dates back to 1781 when it was first documented in the Northern Rhone Valley of France, where it was blended with Syrah. However, the steep terrain of the Northern Rhone Valley made grape cultivation on slopes labor-intensive and costly. The appearance of root-attacking phylloxera further compounded the challenges.
By the 1960s, global Viognier plantings had dwindled to around 15 hectares, with almost no presence outside Condrieu and Chateau-Grillet in the Northern Rhone Valley. Fortunately, winegrowers like Georges Vernay led efforts to revive Viognier, gradually restoring its cultivation. As a result, many Viognier vines in the Rhone Valley today are over 70 years old. Currently, its cultivation is expanding in countries such as South Africa, New Zealand, Greece, and Japan.
Viognier’s birthplace is speculated to be the Condrieu and Ampuis regions of the Northern Rhone, although its exact origin remains unknown. Legend suggests it might have originated in present-day Croatia, brought to the Rhone Valley by the Romans. Emperor Probus is said to have introduced grapevines to Croatia in 281 AD, and these vines were subsequently transported by Romans on a ship along the Rhone River. However, during the journey to Beaujolais, the ship was intercepted by local rogues near present-day Condrieu. In 2004, DNA analysis conducted by the University of California, Davis, indicated that Viognier is closely related to the Piedmont grape Freisa and is a cousin of Nebbiolo.
Characteristics of Viognier
Viognier is a mid-ripening variety, prone to early bud break susceptible to spring frosts. Its compact, small-grained clusters possess slightly thicker skins that help resist grape fungal diseases. Thriving in acidic soils and favorable in warm climates with adequate water supply, Viognier often has high sugar content and lower acidity. Flourishing particularly in the warmer climate of the Condrieu and Chateau-Grillet regions, the granite soil contributes to temperature retention, aiding its prosperity.
However, like Pinot Noir, Viognier is delicate. It’s susceptible to powdery mildew and has low and unpredictable yields, which if not controlled scientifically can lead to excessive yields resulting in lackluster, fatty wines of poor quality. Harvest timing is critical, as picking too early results in subdued flavors, while picking too late can lead to excessive richness.
Viognier: Wine Regions
1. France
Northern Rhône Valley
The largest and most iconic region for Viognier cultivation is the Northern Rhône. It is planted on the sunny granite slopes of the Northern Rhône Valley. Condrieu and Château-Grillet are undoubtedly the most famous Viognier-producing areas here, known for their 100% Viognier wines with excellent aging potential and intoxicating aromatic layers. In these regions, Viognier is the only authorized grape variety.
In other areas of the Rhône Valley, Viognier is often blended with Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and Rolle, adding a touch of fragrance. In the Côte-Rôtie region, Viognier is also planted alongside Syrah and co-fermented to enhance the wine’s aroma and fullness. However, the Viognier content in such blends cannot exceed 20% by law.
Château-Grillet: Located in the Condrieu region of the Rhône Valley, Château-Grillet produces distinctive wines that are even more refined than those of Condrieu. It gained its own AOC designation in 1936 due to its exceptional character. The entire area is home to just one estate, Château-Grillet, making it both the name of the estate and an independent AOC. It’s the smallest AOC in the Rhône Valley, covering only 3.5 hectares.
The vineyards here resemble a south-facing Roman amphitheater, effectively shielding against cold northern winds, creating a hot and sunny microclimate. The term “Grillet” refers to the grilled slopes. The vines are on average over 45 years old, situated on steep slopes at altitudes of 150–250 meters. The resulting wines have high alcohol content, thick structure, and fragrant notes of violets, hawthorn, and acacia flowers, with aging revealing flavors of honey, musk, dried peaches, and apricots. They possess delicate acidity, a smooth mouthfeel, complex structure, and balance. Notably, they have strong aging potential, often aging for 15–20 years.
Château-Grillet’s dry white wines gained popularity as far back as the 3rd century. From kings to philosophers and gourmands, they’ve been cherished by a wide range of individuals. Eminent French gourmet expert Curnonsky included Grillet, Montrachet, Chateau d’Yquem, Coulee de Serrant, and Chateau Chalon as the top 5 greatest French white wines. Renowned mathematician, physicist, and philosopher Blaise Pascal documented his wine-tasting experience at Château-Grillet in his monumental work “Pensées” in 1652. Napoleon I’s wife amassed a substantial collection of Château-Grillet in her cellar, listing 296 bottles at 592 francs each. King George IV of England had a fondness for Château-Grillet. Even Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, visited the estate in 1787.
These grand appraisals and endorsements have made Château-Grillet globally renowned. Due to its limited cultivation and production, it garnered fervent admiration and, at one point, fetched prices higher than Romanée-Conti. It was through Château-Grillet that the world discovered the potential of Viognier.
Condrieu: Condrieu can be described as the most distinctive wine region in the Northern Rhône Valley, officially designated as an AOC in 1940. Its dry white wines are also 100% Viognier and exhibit an exceptional balance between delicate aromas and rich body. Their production is limited, contributing to their higher prices.
Prominent estate: Domaine André Perret is the benchmark of the Condrieu region. In the 1980s, locals didn’t recognize the value and charm of Condrieu. The estate’s owner, André Perret, firmly believed in the terroir’s potential and tirelessly explored the land. His Viognier wines are rich, smooth, highly complex, and possess a full-bodied and weighty structure. If you’re seeking Condrieu wines, don’t miss Domaine André Perret!
Côte-Rôtie: Viognier is also cultivated to a lesser extent in Côte-Rôtie, primarily co-fermented with Syrah to enhance the wine’s aroma, fullness, complexity, and stability. The Viognier content in these blends typically doesn’t exceed 5%, although the legal limit is 20%.
Prominent estate: E. Guigal is the most renowned and representative estate in the Côte-Rôtie region of the Northern Rhône Valley, often referred to as the “Lafite” of the South of France. Established in 1946, the estate covers 45 hectares. Viognier is often co-fermented with Syrah here, as seen in the highly acclaimed La Mouline wine, a blend of 75-year-old Syrah vines and Viognier.
Languedoc-Roussillon
Viognier has its most extensive cultivation in Languedoc-Roussillon, although the region’s warmer climate and lower acidity make it suitable for producing aromatic but less complex VDP (table wines). Nowadays, more winemakers blend Viognier with Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, and Chardonnay to create aromatic, full-bodied dry white wines with added complexity.
Prominent estate: Laurent Miquel is one of the most prominent Viognier wine producers in Languedoc. They typically produce wines using 100% Viognier grapes and age them in oak barrels for several months, resulting in excellent quality wines that have won numerous gold medals in international competitions.
2. Italy
Viognier’s cultivation in Italy is relatively limited and is mainly concentrated in regions such as Piedmont, Lazio, and Sicily. Similar to Languedoc-Roussillon, Viognier is often blended with Chardonnay and other white grape varieties to create full-bodied dry white wines with pronounced aromas.
Prominent estate: Giacomo Ascheri, established in 1880, adheres to the philosophy of “only by cultivating the land diligently can the finest wine grapes be produced.” They hand-cultivate and harvest their Viognier grapes, resulting in rich and complex wines of exceptional quality.
3. Spain
Viognier’s cultivation area in Spain is quite small, around 18 hectares, mainly concentrated in the Castilla-La-Mancha region. It is often blended with Grenache Blanc and some white grape varieties from the Rhône Valley to produce dry white wines. In the Priorat region, Viognier is primarily co-fermented with Syrah, similar to Côte-Rôtie.
Prominent estate: Celler cal pla, founded in 1814, is one of the oldest wineries in the Priorat region. Their red and white wines blended with Viognier are exceptional, with the dry white wine being voted the best white wine by the Spanish newspaper “El País.”
4. United States
In the late 20th century, individuals like John Alban introduced Viognier to California, USA. Simultaneously, other California grape growers mistakenly thought they were planting Roussanne from the Rhône Valley, but it turned out to be Viognier. By 1998, the cultivation area in the US had grown significantly, from 10 hectares in 1982 to 1,200 hectares in 2010. Most of this cultivation is concentrated in the Central Coast region.
In California, Viognier is grown in sun-drenched alluvial soils, resulting in wines with intense flavors of apricots, peaches, white flowers, and sometimes ginger. The wines often have high alcohol content, up to 15%, and relatively lower acidity compared to French counterparts.
In Oregon, Viognier covers an area of around 75 hectares, producing wines with moderate acidity, lower alcohol content than California, and a fuller mouthfeel.
In Washington state, Viognier covers about 160 hectares, producing wines with balanced acidity, intense aromas, good fullness, and some aging potential.
In Virginia, Viognier covers about 100 hectares and is the most important white grape variety in the state. The humid summers here are conducive to Viognier growth, resulting in wines with decent acidity, rounded and full mouthfeel, balanced structure, prolonged finish, and quality surpassing local Chardonnay wines.
Prominent estates: Darioush Winery and Fess Parker Winery in California; Cristom in Oregon; Horton, Keswick Vineyards, and Veritas Vineyard & Winery in Virginia.
5. Australia
Similar to Côte-Rôtie, Australian producers often blend Viognier with Syrah. Currently, around 500 wineries produce Viognier wines. Viognier covers an area of around 4,400 hectares across various regions, with the majority in South Australia.
Australian Viognier is mostly grown in warm climates, resulting in wines with flavors of apricot, peach, white flowers, and even hints of ginger. They retain a certain level of acidity, have rich layers, full structure, and high quality. However, the best Viognier in Australia comes from Eden Valley, where Yalumba Winery, the first to commercialize Viognier in the region, played a crucial role in its revival.
Prominent estates: Torbreck in Barossa Valley; Yering Station in Yarra Valley; Yalumba Winery in Eden Valley; Trentham in New South Wales.
6. New Zealand
In recent years, Viognier’s cultivation area in New Zealand has been steadily increasing, from 155 hectares in 2005 to 855 hectares in 2010. Due to New Zealand’s colder climate, Viognier wines here have higher acidity, good fullness in the mouth, but less complexity compared to Grillet and Condrieu.
Prominent estates: Dry River in Martinborough; Hans Herzog in Marlborough; Millton Winery in Gisborne; Craggy Range in Hawke’s Bay.
7. South Africa
Viognier covers an area of around 860 hectares in South Africa, spread across various regions. In Swartland, Viognier is mainly used to produce single-varietal wines with pronounced aromas. In Stellenbosch, Viognier is often blended with other varieties to enhance aroma and complexity, sometimes producing single-varietal wines that usually undergo oak barrel aging, resulting in rich layers.
Prominent estates: Adi Badenhorst and Lammershoek in Swartland; Quoin Rock in Stellenbosch.
Viognier Wine Pairing
Viognier is not a variety meant for aging; its lack of acidity makes it prone to oxidation, which is why the majority of Viognier doesn’t need aging. While there are some exceptional top-tier Viogniers that can develop complex flavors like spices after aging for 5–10 years, most Viogniers don’t fare as well. For more affordable Viogniers, it’s best to enjoy them within 3 years of harvest.
Serving Temperature: Similar to most fuller-bodied dry whites, a temperature of 10–12°C is suitable.
When pairing with Viognier, two aspects should be taken into account: its floral aromas and its acidity. Therefore, when selecting food, avoid overly heavy or highly acidic dishes that might overshadow the wine.
Additionally, to complement Viognier’s aromas, you can opt for dishes with rich spices, such as Indian and Southeast Asian cuisine. Here are a few examples:
- Creamy curries
- Chicken salads
- Dishes seasoned with ginger, saffron, and coconut
- Spiced seafood like grilled scallops, lobster, and crab
Viognier’s smooth texture also makes it suitable for pairing with dairy products and desserts. If pairing with desserts, avoid those with lemon or citrus flavors.