A profile of the grape
Viognier is a very aromatic, characterful grape, best known in wine circles for its pricey offerings from the northern Rhône. Most famous of all is Condrieu – a small wine region, producing long-lived, ethereally scented, mineral-fresh whites that can age very gracefully.
Taste-wise, this fine white grape can produce exotic wines with good weight and roundness, aromas of tangerine and peach, rose petal and honeysuckle. With its relatively low acidity, it has a silky, almost oily, caressing texture in a very pleasant way. In the right hands, in a cooler climate, it retains a steely freshness, too.
Viognier also has a rare distinction in that it is sometimes used to add complexity and aroma to red wines. The classic northern Rhône red Côte Rôtie is made by co-fermenting Syrah and Viognier grapes – a recipe has been adopted by a few adventurous winemakers around the world, including RedHeads for their Coco Rotie Shiraz Viognier.
Winemakers often like to blend Viognier with other white Rhône varieties, namely Roussanne and Marsanne, plus Grenache Blanc, Macabeo, Bourboulenc and Vermentino/Rolle. For this style, try Mourchon La Source from the Rhône.
What are the different styles?
When this variety is allowed to come to full ripeness, Viognier shows the weight and creamy roundness of Chardonnay. However, its aromas are wildly different, with Viognier offering lovely exotic aromas of rose petal and spice. Its flavours tend to be ripe and full too – creamy peach, tangerine, mango even – with medium to low acidity.
For a crisper, less aromatic style, a winemaker must pick the grapes early. Then the wine will be lighter and fresher, with less exotic aromas and only a suggestion of stone fruits.
In either style, the wine will nearly always be dry, while alcohol levels tend to be on the higher side – 13° upwards. Most wines are best drunk young, while the fruit and acidity are in balance. A few, more pricey examples, particularly those that are matured on lees in oak barrels, will be ‘built’ for ageing a couple of years or so.
Australia
As Australia played a key role in saving this grape from extinction, it seems only right it produces some top examples. Those are to be found in the cooler pockets, so that Viognier can ripen slowly.
In Victoria, that includes the Grampians, Yarra Valley and Geelong. In South Australia, Viognier performs best in a moderate climate – namely the Eden Valley and Adelaide Hills and near the coast in the Fleurieu Peninsula.
Being the original source of Aussie Viognier, the Barossa shouldn’t be forgotten either, producing a delicious, opulent and rounded style. Viognier’s ‘happy place’ within New South Wales is the Hunter Valley. It’s also proved successful in Riverina.
Tip from the Tasting Room: V-on-YAY – a tantalisingly fresh Viognier from Riverina, with peach, apricot and subtle spice flavours. Great for solo sipping, or a top match for spicy dishes and seafood.
South Africa
Viognier was first introduced to South Africa in 1989 by the great Charles Back of Fairview fame. Today there are still less than 1,000 hectares, which is surprising when the variety makes such tasty, accessible and affordable wines, particularly those from the Western Cape – some solo and some blended with the Cape’s classic grape, Chenin Blanc.
The grape has been trialled in nearly every Cape winegrowing region, with Paarl taking top spot, followed by Swartland and Stellenbosch. Again, cooler climate enclaves work best to obtain that delicious balance of ripe mango and apricot fruit with a zip of citrus.
Pairing food with Viognier
With Viognier’s roundness and weight, it provides a good foil to dishes as diverse as roast chicken or panfried scallops served with celeriac purée.
For more exotic matches, try Viognier with a Moroccan-style pilaf, as the nuts and dried apricot elements will highlight similar flavours in the wine. Its ripe fruit flavours can also stand up to the hot spice of Asian curries, with the creaminess of the coconut and aromatics of the lemongrass finding some echoes in the wine.
The same goes for Indian dishes – spices such as cumin, ground coriander and turmeric work well with the ripe fruit, spice and floral taste notes of the wine.
The lighter, zippier styles from say northern Italy or South Africa make a very refreshing glass on their own or with lighter dishes of seafood.
