Viognier - Exotic and flowery

The noble French white wine grape Viognier stands for multi-layered wines with a floral character and is still mainly cultivated in the Rhone today. The grape variety is capable of producing both very fine and complex wines, particularly due to its fruitiness, which is reminiscent of peach, apricot, honey and spices.

Learn more about Viognier

Profile

Viognier wines are high-alcohol white wines with a strong colour, aromatic fragrance, restrained acidity and a pronounced body. Grown in cool climates, Viognier wines are dominated by orange and apricot flavours; in warm climates, aromas of mango and pineapple come to the fore. Barrel-aged Viognier from warm regions impresses with its lower acidity and full flavour. Single-varietal Viognier is best drunk very young, as it still has the full spectrum of flavours and the acidity is noticeable.

Fruit★★★★★

Body★★★

Tannin★★★

Acidity★★

Alcohol★★★★

Flavours

Viognier wines are aromatic, complex and powerful white wines with flavours of flowers such as honeysuckle and rose, spices and exotic fruits such as peach and mango.tangerine, peach, mango, honeysuckle, rose

Dominant notes:

Tangerine
peach
mango
honeysuckle
rose

Possible notes:

Herbs/flowers: honeysuckle, violet, orange blossom, rose, rose water, potpourri, white pepper, aniseed
Citrus: lime, lemon, orange, tangerine
Tree fruit/melon: honeydew melon, nectarine, peach, apricot
Tropical fruit: pineapple, mango
Earth/Other: crushed gravel, beeswax
Secondary notes: Oily, almond, cream
Matured in oak: Vanilla, caramel, brown butter, mace, allspice

Harmonises with

The fresh and fruity Viognier wines with their soft, full-bodied flavour are an excellent match for noble fish and lobster and are therefore popular in fine dining. They are also a stylish accompaniment to creamy sauces and Asian dishes. Pure Viognier reveals its full character when drunk young.

General information

The noble French white wine grape Viognier stands for multi-layered wines with a floral character. This grape variety used to be grown exclusively in the northern half of the Rhone Valley in France, but after the phylloxera crisis it almost disappeared there too. It is related to the Italian grape variety Freisa, which in turn descends from the Nebbiolo variety. Viognier is also known synonymously as Galopine, Petit Viognier, Viogner Blanc or Viogner Vert.

The Viognier grape has experienced a renaissance after a long period of decline in vineyards. Today, Viognier wines are once again very popular with winegrowers and wine lovers due to their exceptional flavour profile, which has led to the area under vines in France alone increasing from 8 hectares in 1968 to almost 6500 hectares in 2015. In addition to France, other growing regions include Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, the United States, Chile, Argentina, Switzerland, Italy and Canada. In total, around 11,000 hectares of vineyards worldwide are planted with Viognier.

Viognier is drought-resistant, but not very productive. In order to maintain good wine quality, its yield must be further reduced. Around 30 hectolitres of wine per hectare is the upper limit for winegrowers here. The grapes are a deep golden yellow, which gives the Viognier wine an intense colour. Purely varietal Vognier is aromatic, fruity and has a unique bouquet. Viognier wines can also be found in cuvées, where they are mainly blended with white Grenache, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Gewürztramier. In South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and America, Viognier wine is mainly matured in barrels.