Viognier

"Vionnier" redirects here. For another French wine grape that is also known as Vionnier, seeGouais blanc.

Viognier
Grape(Vitis)
Viognier in Viala & Vermorel
Color of berry skin	Blanc
Species	Vitis vinifera
Also called	Bergeron, Barbin, Rebolot, Greffou, Picotin Blanc, Vionnier, Petiti Vionnier, Viogne, Galopine, Vugava bijela(more)
Origin	Croatia,France
Notable regions	Worldwide
VIVCnumber	13106

Viognier grapes ripening on the vine inAmador county,California.

Viognier(French pronunciation:[vjɔɲje]) is a whitewinegrape variety.It is the only permitted grape for theFrench wineCondrieuin theRhône Valley.

Outside of the Rhône, Viognier can be found in regions of North and South America as well as Australia, New Zealand, the Cape Winelands in South Africa, south Moravia region in Czechia,Israeland inAustriaat Weingut Roland Minkowitsch. In some wine regions, the variety isco-fermentedwith the red wine grapeSyrahwhere it can contribute to thecolorandaromaof the wine.

LikeChardonnay,Viognier has the potential to producefull-bodiedwines with a lush, soft character. In contrast to Chardonnay, the Viognier varietal has more naturalaromaticsthat include notes of peach, pears, violets andminerality.However, these aromatic notes can be easily destroyed by too much exposure to oxygen, which makesbarrel fermentationa winemaking technique that requires a high level of skill on the part of any winemaker working with this variety.

The potential quality of Viognier is also highly dependent onviticulturalpractices and climate, with the grape requiring a long, warmgrowing seasonin order to fullyripenbut not a climate that is so hot that the grape develops high levels ofsugarsand potential alcohol before its aromatic notes can develop. The grape is naturally alow-yieldingvariety, which can make it a less economically viable planting for some vineyards.

History

The origin of the Viognier grape is unknown; it is presumed to be an ancient grape, possibly originating inDalmatia(present dayCroatia) and then brought to the Rhône by theRomans.One legend states that theRoman emperorProbusbrought the vine to the region in 281 AD; another has the grape packaged withSyrahon a cargo ship navigating theRhôneriver, en route toBeaujolaiswhen it was captured, near the site of present-dayCondrieu,by a local group ofoutlawsknown asculs de piaux.

The origin of the name Viognier is also obscure. The most common namesake is the French city ofVienne,which was a major Roman outpost. Another legend has it drawing its name from the Roman pronunciation of theviaGehennae,meaning the "Road of the Valley ofHell".Probably this is anallusionto the difficulty of growing the grape.

Viognier was once fairly common. In 1965, the grape was almost extinct, and a source reported only eight acres in Northern Rhône producing just 1,900 liters of wine at that time.The popularity and price of the wine have risen, and the number of plantings has increased. Rhône now has over 740 acres (299.5 hectares) planted.

In 2004,DNA profilingconducted atUniversity of California, Davisshowed the grape to be closely related to thePiedmontgrapeFreisa,and to be a geneticcousinofNebbiolo.

Viticulture

Viognier leaf growing inRed Willow VineyardinWashington State.

Viognier can be a difficult grape to grow because it is prone topowdery mildew.It has low and unpredictable yields and should be picked only whenfully ripe.When picked too early, the grape fails to develop the full extent of itsaromasand tastes. When picked too late, the grape produces wine that is oily and lacks perfume. Winemakers in the Condrieu often pick the grapes with a level of sugar that will produce wine with alcohol in the 13% range.When fully ripe the grapes have a deep yellow color and produce wine with a strong perfume and high inalcohol.The grape prefers warmer environments and a long growing season, but can grow in cooler areas as well.

In France, theMistralhas a distinct effect on the Viognier vineyards in the Northern Rhône. The wind tempers theMediterranean climateof the region, and cools the vines down after the severe heat of summer.

Wine expertRemington Normanhas identified two distinct strains of Viognier — an "Old World" strain, most common in Condrieu, and a "New World" strain, which is found in the Languedoc and other areas. Although made from the same grape, the two strains produce distinctly different wines.

The age of the vine also has an effect on the quality of the wine produced. Viognier vines start to hit their peak after 15–20 years. In the Rhône, there are vines at least 70 years old.

Regional production

AsparklingViognier fromWashington State

Viognier has been planted much more extensively around the world since the early 1990s. BothCaliforniaandAustralianow have significant amounts of land devoted to the Viognier grape. There are also notable planting increases in areas of moderate climate such asVirginia'sMonticello AVAregion.

The decline of Viognier in France from its historic peak has much to do with the disastrous predations of thephylloxerainsects from North America in Europe in the mid- and late-19th century, followed by the abandonment of the vineyards due to the chaos ofWorld War I.By 1965, only about 30 acres (12 hectares) of Viognier vines remained in France, and the variety was nearlyextinct.Even as late as the mid-1980s, Viognier in France was endangered. In parallel to the growth of Viognier in the rest of the world, plantings in France have grown dramatically since then. The grape has been enjoying some successSouth Africa,New Zealand,GreeceandJapan.

France

A Viognier Vin de Pays d'Oc from Languedoc

In France, Viognier is the single permitted grape variety in the Rhône appellations ofCondrieuandChâteau Grillet,which are located on the west bank of theRhône,about 40 km south ofLyon.In the rest of theRhône wine regionwhites, the grape is often blended withRoussanne,Marsanne,Grenache blanc,andRolle.In the Northern Rhône, the grape is sometimes blended withChardonnay.In theCôte-Rôtie AOC,red wine blends can include up to 20% of Viognier though most growers add no more than 5%. Since Viognier ripens earlier thanSyrah,the grape is normally harvested separately and added to the Syrah duringfermentation.One of the benefits of adding Viognier is that the process of co-pigmentationstabilizes the coloring of the red wine.

Vigneronsin the rest of France often look to plant Viognier in areas rich ingranitesoil that have a heat retaining quality that the grape seems to thrive in.Beaujolais winemakerGeorges Duboeufhelped expand the reach of the grape with plantings in theArdècheregion.The majority of French Viogniers are now grown in theLanguedocand sold asVin de Pays.

North America

A Viognier-based white "Rhone-style blend" from Washington State.

Since the late 1980s, plantings of Viognier in theUnited StatesandCanadahave increased dramatically. California'sCentral Coastis the leading producer with over 2,000 acres (809 hectares) of the grape planted. Californian Viogniers are noticeably higher in alcohol compared to other wines made from the grape.TheRhone Rangersof the mid-1980s helped spark the increased interest in Viognier in California.It has received international attention growing inVirginia,and in 2011 was namedVirginia's signature white grape.

The grape can also be found inGeorgia,North Carolina,Texas,Washington,Oregon,Michigan,Idaho,Colorado,New Mexico,Pennsylvania,Maryland,New Jersey,New York,MissouriandArizona,Valle de Guadalupe, Baja Californiaas well asBritish Columbiaand the Niagara andLake ErieNorth Shore regions ofOntario.

South America

BothArgentinaandChilehave significant plantings of the grape with some producers inBrazilandUruguayalso experimenting with thevarietal.

Australia

In Australia,Yalumbais the country's largest producer of the grape making both a white wine varietal and making extensive use of the grape in its Shiraz blends.Yalumba grows the grape in theloamandclaysoil of theEden Valley.Other areas with Viognier plantings includeClare Valley,Rutherglen,Murray River,McLaren Vale,Geelong,Nagambie Lakes,Canberra,Mornington Peninsula,Barossa Valley,Adelaide Hills,Geographe,South Burnett,Yarra Valley(Pimpernel Vineyards) andPyrenees

New Zealand

Further information:Rhône Rangers

In New Zealand, small amounts of Viognier are grown onWaiheke IslandandWairarapa.In theHawke's Bay Region,the grape is used as a single varietal as well as being blended withSyrahto produce a traditional Rhône style red wine.

Wine

A Viognier wine from California

Viognier wines are well known for theirfloralaromas, andterpenes,which are also found inMuscatandRieslingwines. There are also many other powerful flower and fruit aromas which can be perceived in these wines depending on where they were grown, the weather conditions and how old the vines were. Although some of these wines, especially those from old vines and the late-harvest wines, are suitable for aging, most are intended to be consumed young. Viogniers more than three years old tend to lose many of the floral aromas that make this wine unique. Aging these wines will often yield a very crisp drinking wine which is almost completely flat in the nose. The color and the aroma of the wine suggest a sweet wine but Viognier wines are predominantly dry, although sweetlate-harvestdessert wineshave been made.

It is a grape with lowacidity;it is sometimes used to soften wines made predominantly with the redSyrahgrape. In addition to its softening qualities the grape also adds a colour-stabilizing agent and enhanced perfume to the red wine.In the Rhone region, the grapes normally are not affected by the fungusBotrytis cinereathough botrytized Viognier is not unheard of.

In winemaking, the grapes are oftenharvestedearly in the morning to produce the clearest juice possible. Some winemakers will allow contact with the skins. The skin of Viognier is high inphenols- compounds that can leave an astringent component to the wine if juice is left in contact with the skins for too long. Sometimes the wine is put throughmalolactic fermentationto give the wine more weight and to decrease acidity. In New World Viognier, theleesmay be stirred in a process calledbatonnagein order to increase the smooth texture of the wine. The wine is then left on the lees till bottling in a manner similar tosparkling wine production.

In the creation of the dessert style Viognier, the grapes are often picked in late October or early November in the Northern Hemisphere. A common harvest technique used in the Condrieu is known asà l'assiettewhere a plate is held underneath a Viognier vine that is then shaken to allow the overripe grapes to drop onto the plate.Fermentationis then stopped early through the use ofsulphur dioxideto allow the wine to retain a high level ofresidual sugar.The wine is then chilled and put throughsterilefiltrationto ensure that the wine isstableand will not start fermenting again in the bottle.

Depending on the winemaking style the grape can often hit its peak at one-two years of age, though some can stay at high levels of quality up to ten years. Typically Condrieu wines are the Viogniers most often meant to be drunk young while Californian and Australian wines can handle age a little bit better.

Food pairing

The highly aromatic and fruit forward nature of the grape allows Viognier to pair well with spicy foods such asThai cuisine.

External links

• Viognier: California's Exotic, Rare White Wine
• Viognier in Australia
• Grapes of the Rhône Valley: Viognierfrom the Tablas Creek blog

Further reading

• Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst;Wine Lover's Companion;Barron's;ISBN0-8120-1479-0(paperback, 1995)