Viognier
Probably Northern Rhône, France
A heady, full-bodied, apricot-scented white from the northern Rhône, at its most intense in Condrieu.
Sensory profile
Characteristics
Flavor & aroma
At a glance
Production facts
Prevalence
Niche
Climate
Warm climate
Ripening
Mid season
Wine styles
Still
Where it's grown
Geography
Shaded areas are the state, province or département(s) containing each region, so they run wider than the appellations themselves.
France
United States of America
Australia
Eden Valley and Barossa
Grown for full whites and as a small addition to Shiraz.
Background
Origin & History
Viognier is tied to the northern Rhône, where it makes the wines of Condrieu and Château-Grillet. Its own origin is uncertain, but DNA profiling at UC Davis in 2004 found a close relationship with Freisa, a Piedmont grape, and a more distant one with Nebbiolo, which links three very different wine regions.
It was reduced to a few hectares in the 1960s, and was rescued by demand for its lush, perfumed style. Today it is also grown in the Languedoc, California, Virginia and Australia, and is sometimes co-fermented with Syrah in Côte-Rôtie.
Lineage
Family tree
Parentage not recorded — Viognier is an old variety of unknown origin.
No crossings involving Viognier are documented in the collection yet.