Viognier

Viognier is a white grape with a bit of a comeback story. It comes from France’s Northern Rhône, where it’s been around for a very long time—possibly since Roman days—though its exact origins are still a little hazy. By the mid-1900s it was nearly gone, hanging on by a thread in just a few vineyards in Condrieu and Château-Grillet. Thankfully, growers didn’t give up on it, and Viognier slowly found its way back into favor, eventually spreading far beyond its French home.

The Rhône Valley is still Viognier’s spiritual center, with its warm days and cool nights giving the grape just enough time to ripen properly. From there, it’s traveled widely. You’ll now find Viognier in places like California, Virginia, Australia, South Africa, and Argentina, each putting its own spin on the style. The grape can be tricky to grow—it ripens late, yields are low, and it’s prone to disease—so when it works, it’s usually because someone put real care into the vineyard.

In the glass, Viognier is all about aroma and texture. It’s famously expressive, often bursting with scents of apricot, peach, honeysuckle, white flowers, and sometimes tropical fruit. The wines tend to be full-bodied and smooth, with a slightly oily, almost plush feel that makes them stand out from crisper, sharper white wines. Acidity is usually on the lower side, which adds to that rounded, generous mouthfeel.

Most Viogniers are best enjoyed young, when their fruit and floral notes are at their brightest, though well-made examples can age and gain extra depth over time. Taken as a whole, Viognier is a grape with personality—fragrant, rich, and a little demanding—but when everything comes together, it delivers wines that are hard to forget.