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. (A popular legend credits the emperor Probus with bringing it from Dalmatia in the 3rd century, but that story is unproven, and DNA studies suggest a family link to Piedmont’s Freisa.) By the mid-1900s it was nearly gone, hanging on by a thread in just a few vineyards in Condrieu and Château-Grillet. By the 1960s, only a handful of hectares were planted worldwide, a small fraction of what you’d find in a single modest estate today. Château-Grillet, a single-owner appellation of roughly 3.5 hectares, is one of the smallest in France. 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. In Condrieu, the vines cling to steep, terraced granite slopes above the river, and in neighboring Côte-Rôtie, growers are allowed to co-ferment up to 20 percent Viognier with Syrah, which helps stabilize the red’s color and lift its perfume. 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. Yalumba in Australia was an early pioneer in the 1980s, and in Virginia it has become something of a signature white. The grape can be tricky to grow—it ripens late, yields are low, and it’s prone to disease—(it also flowers unevenly, which can leave bunches with few berries) 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. Much of that perfume comes from aromatic compounds called terpenes, the same family that makes Muscat so fragrant. 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. Because the grape needs to be fully ripe to show its character, the wines often reach 13.5 to 15 percent alcohol, while picking too early gives a surprisingly neutral wine. Some producers ferment part of the wine in oak to add even more richness.

Most Viogniers are best enjoyed young, when their fruit and floral notes are at their brightest, often within three to five years of the vintage, though well-made examples can age and gain extra depth over time. At the table, its ripe fruit and weight suit mildly spicy Thai and Indian dishes, roast pork, lobster, and creamy sauces. 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.