Viognier as a wine has been gaining in popularity in the last ten years, with production of the wine worldwide increasing significantly in this time, and it is now stocked by all the major supermarkets; a sure sign of market penetration.

Viognier as a wine has been gaining in popularity in the last ten years, with production of the wine worldwide increasing significantly in this time, and it is now stocked by all the major supermarkets; a sure sign of market penetration.

The grape has come a long, long way. Even in the northern Rhone Valley, its homeland, the grape was almost extinct as little time ago as forty years. Even twenty years ago there were only 80 acres of the grape planted worldwide, and most of these were in the village of Condrieu in France.

The grape is planted in roughly 14,000 acres worldwide which, although it sounds a lot, is still only about a third of the area size planted with Chardonnay worldwide.

The grape itself can prove problematic and difficult to grow because it is prone to mildew. Its yields are generally unpredictable and relatively low, and the grapes must be picked only when fully ripe as prior to this the flavours will not have developed. When picked too late in the ripening process, the resulting wine is oily and it lacks perfume.

The wine produced is quite high in alcohol for a white wine, and this is due to the high level of sugar contained within the grapes.

Viognier likes to grow in warmer climates, but doesn’t fare too badly in cooler climates either, and the vines hit their peak at about 15-20 years of age, although there are vines in the Rhone in France that are over 70 years old.

Now grown in the New World as well as the Old, the grape is commonly blended in Australia with Shiraz, and labeled Shiraz/Viognier. When first produced, this wine was heavily scented with the honeysuckle and Apricot aromas associated with Viognier, but this has been somewhat toned down to a much more subtle inclusion of the white grape’s aromas and tastes, with only about five per cent of this wine being made up of Viognier; just as well really as it’s a relatively new grape to Australia.

Food pairing

Viognier has a very aromatic and fruity nature, and this allows the wine to be paired very well with spiced foods such as Thai dishes, or Vietnamese dishes. Some wines have subtle floral notes which come about from being vinified without oak barrels, and this wine is similar in some ways to sake, which makes it a good accompaniment to sushi and sashimi.

The wine does best when aged without oak barrels so that there is no imparted oak flavor, and pairs well with a lot of French cheeses.

Dominic Donaldson is a wine expert. Find out more about Viognier at http://www.virginwines.com/wine-zone/viognier

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