Editing Viognier

{{Short description|Variety of grape used to make white wine}}
{{redirect|Vionnier|another French wine grape that is also known as Vionnier|Gouais blanc}}

{{Infobox grape variety
| name = Viognier
| image = Viognier Viala et Vermorel.jpg
| caption = Viognier in Viala & Vermorel
| species = ''[[Vitis vinifera]]''
| color = Blanc
| also_called = Bergeron, Barbin, Rebolot, Greffou, Picotin Blanc, Vionnier, Petiti Vionnier, Viogne, Galopine, Vugava bijela<ref>{{cite web | title=Viognier information | url=http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/datastore/datastoreview/showpage.cfm?usernumber=39&surveynumber=351 | publisher=[[University of California, Davis]] Integrated Viticulture Online | access-date=2008-08-25 | archive-date=2009-02-08 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090208215324/http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/datastore/datastoreview/showpage.cfm?usernumber=39&surveynumber=351 | url-status=dead }}</ref> ([[#Synonyms|more]])
| origin = [[Croatia]], [[France]]
| hazards = 
| regions = Worldwide
| notable_wines = 
}}
[[File:Viognier.jpg|thumb|Viognier grapes ripening on the vine in [[Amador county]], California]]

'''Viognier''' ({{IPA|fr|vjɔɲje}}) is a white [[wine]] [[grape variety]]. It is the only permitted grape for the [[French wine]] [[Condrieu AOC|Condrieu]] in the [[Rhone Valley (wine)|Rhône Valley]].<ref name="Robinson pg 754">J. Robinson ''The Oxford Companion to Wine'', Third Edition,  p. 754, Oxford University Press 2006 {{ISBN|0-19-860990-6}}</ref>

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, [[Israeli wine|Israel]] and in [[Austrian wine|Austria]] at Weingut Roland Minkowitsch. In some wine regions, the variety is [[co-fermented]] with the red wine grape [[Syrah]] where it can contribute to the [[color (wine)|color]] and [[bouquet (wine)|aroma]] of the wine.<ref name="WSET">Wine & Spirits Education Trust ''Wine and Spirits: Understanding Wine Quality'' pp. 69, Second Revised Edition (2012), London, {{ISBN|9781905819157}}</ref>

Like [[Chardonnay]], Viognier has the potential to produce [[body (wine)|full-bodied]] wines with a lush, soft character. In contrast to Chardonnay, the  Viognier varietal has more natural [[aromatics (wine)|aromatics]] that include notes of peach, pears, violets and [[minerality (wine)|minerality]]. However, these aromatic notes can be easily destroyed by too much exposure to oxygen, which makes [[barrel fermentation]] a 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 on [[viticultural]] practices and climate, with the grape requiring a long, warm [[growing season (wine)|growing season]] in order to fully [[ripen (wine)|ripen]] but not a climate that is so hot that the grape develops high levels of [[sugars (wine)|sugars]] and potential alcohol before its aromatic notes can develop. The grape is naturally a [[yield (wine)|low-yielding]] variety, which can make it a less economically viable planting for some vineyards.<ref name="WSET"/>

==History==
The origin of the Viognier grape is unknown; it is presumed to be an ancient grape, possibly originating in [[Dalmatia]] (present day [[Croatia]]) and then brought to the Rhône by the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]].<ref name=enjoy>[http://www.enjoyingviognier.com/cgi-bin/viognier.cgi Enjoying Viognier.com]</ref> One legend states that the [[Roman emperor]] [[Marcus Aurelius Probus|Probus]] brought the vine to the region in 281 AD; another has the grape packaged with [[Syrah]] on a cargo ship navigating the [[Rhône]] river, en route to [[Beaujolais]] when it was captured, near the site of present-day [[Condrieu]], by a local group of [[outlaw]]s known as ''culs de piaux''.<ref name="Clarke pg 277">O. Clarke ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 277 Harcourt Books 2001 {{ISBN|0-15-100714-4}}</ref>

The origin of the name Viognier is also obscure.  The most common namesake is the French city of [[Vienne, Isère|Vienne]], which was a major Roman outpost.  Another legend has it drawing its name from the Roman pronunciation of the ''via [[Gehenna]]e'', meaning the "Road of the Valley of [[Hell]]".  Probably this is an [[allusion]] to the difficulty of growing the grape.<ref name="Clarke pg 277"/>
  
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.<ref name=enjoy/>  The popularity and price of the wine have risen, and the number of plantings has increased. Rhône now has over {{convert|740|acre|hectare|1}} planted.<ref name=enjoy/>

In 2004, [[DNA profiling]] conducted at [[University of California, Davis]] showed the grape to be closely related to the [[Piedmont wine|Piedmont]] grape [[Freisa]], and to be a genetic [[cousin]] of [[Nebbiolo]].<ref name="Robinson pg 754"/>

==Viticulture==
[[File:Viognier leaf at Red Willow.jpg|left|thumb|Viognier leaf growing in [[Red Willow Vineyard]] in [[Washington State (wine)|Washington State]]]]
Viognier can be a difficult grape to grow because it is prone to [[powdery mildew]].  It has low and unpredictable yields and should be picked only when [[fully ripe (wine)|fully ripe]].  When picked too early, the grape fails to develop the full extent of its [[aromas (wine)|aromas]] and 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.<ref name="Clarke pg 278">O. Clarke ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 278 Harcourt Books 2001 {{ISBN|0-15-100714-4}}</ref> When fully ripe the grapes have a deep yellow color and produce wine with a strong perfume and high in [[ethanol|alcohol]] .<ref name="Robinson pg 754"/> The grape prefers warmer environments and a long growing season, but can grow in cooler areas as well.

In France, the [[Mistral (wind)|Mistral]] has a distinct effect on the Viognier vineyards in the Northern Rhône. The wind tempers the [[Mediterranean climate (wine)|Mediterranean climate]] of the region, and cools the vines down after the severe heat of summer.<ref name="Clarke pg 278"/>

Wine expert [[Remington Norman]] has 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.<ref name="Clarke pg 277"/>

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.<ref name="Clarke pg 279">O. Clarke ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 279 Harcourt Books 2001 {{ISBN|0-15-100714-4}}</ref>

==Regional production==
[[File:Sparkling Viognier.jpg|left|thumb|A [[sparkling wine|sparkling]] Viognier from [[Washington wine|Washington State]]]]
Viognier has been planted much more extensively around the world since the early 1990s. Both [[California wine|California]] and [[Australia wine|Australia]] now have significant amounts of land devoted to the Viognier grape. There are also notable planting increases in areas of moderate climate such as [[Virginia wine|Virginia]]'s [[Monticello AVA]] region.

The decline of Viognier in France from its historic peak has much to do with the disastrous predations of the [[phylloxera]] insects from North America in Europe in the mid- and late-19th century, followed by the abandonment of the vineyards due to the chaos of [[World War I]]. By 1965, only about {{convert|30|acre|hectare}} of Viognier vines remained in France, and the variety was nearly [[extinct]]. 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 success [[South Africa wine|South Africa]], [[New Zealand wine|New Zealand]], [[Greece wine|Greece]]<ref name="gervassiliou">{{cite web | title=Viognier | url=http://www.gerovassiliou.gr/en/wines/viognier | publisher=Domaine Gerovassiliou | access-date=17 October 2011}}</ref> and [[Japan]].<ref name="Clarke pg 281">O. Clarke ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 281 Harcourt Books 2001 {{ISBN|0-15-100714-4}}</ref>

===France===
[[File:Nord Sud Viognier 2008.jpg|thumb|right|upright|A Viognier Vin de Pays d'Oc from Languedoc]]
In France, Viognier is the single permitted grape variety in the Rhône appellations of [[Condrieu AOC|Condrieu]] and [[Château-Grillet AOC|Château Grillet]], which are located on the west bank of the [[Rhône]], about 40&nbsp;km south of [[Lyon]].  In the rest of the [[Rhône wine region]] whites, the grape is often blended with [[Roussanne]], [[Marsanne]], [[Grenache blanc]], and [[Rolle (grape)|Rolle]]. In the Northern Rhône, the grape is sometimes blended with [[Chardonnay]].<ref name="Robinson pg 754"/> In the [[Côte-Rôtie AOC]], red wine blends can include up to 20% of Viognier though most growers add no more than 5%. Since Viognier ripens earlier than [[Syrah]], the grape is normally harvested separately and added to the Syrah during [[fermentation (wine)|fermentation]]. One of the benefits of adding Viognier is that the process of co-[[pigmentation]] stabilizes the coloring of the red wine.<ref name="Clarke pg 280">O. Clarke ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 280 Harcourt Books 2001 {{ISBN|0-15-100714-4}}</ref>

[[Vignerons]] in the rest of France often look to plant Viognier in areas rich in [[granite]] soil that have a heat retaining quality that the grape seems to thrive in.<ref name="Clarke pg 278"/> [[Beaujolais wine]]maker [[Georges Duboeuf]] helped expand the reach of the grape with plantings in the [[Ardèche]] region.<ref name="Clarke pg 276">O. Clarke ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 276 Harcourt Books 2001 {{ISBN|0-15-100714-4}}</ref> The majority of French Viogniers are now grown in the [[Languedoc]] and sold as ''[[Vin de Pays]]''.

===North America===
[[File:Washington Viognier blend.jpg|left|thumb|upright|A Viognier-based white "Rhone-style blend" from Washington State]]
Since the late 1980s, plantings of Viognier in the [[United States wine|United States]] and [[Canada wine|Canada]] have increased dramatically. California's [[Central Coast AVA|Central Coast]] is the leading producer with over {{convert|2000|acre|hectare|0}} of the grape planted. Californian Viogniers are noticeably higher in alcohol compared to other wines made from the grape.<ref name="Robinson pg 754"/> The [[Rhone Rangers]] of the mid-1980s helped spark the increased interest in Viognier in California.<ref name="MacNeil pg 240">K. MacNeil ''The Wine Bible'' pg 240 Workman Publishing 2001 {{ISBN|1-56305-434-5}}</ref> It has received international attention growing in [[Virginia]], and in 2011 was named [[Virginia wine|Virginia]]'s signature white grape.

The grape can also be found in [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[North Carolina]], [[Texas wine|Texas]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], [[Oregon wine|Oregon]], [[Michigan]], [[Idaho]], [[Colorado]], [[New Mexico]], [[Pennsylvania]], [[Maryland]], [[New Jersey]], [[New York (state)|New York]], [[Missouri]] and [[Arizona]], [[Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California]]  as well as [[British Columbia]] and the Niagara and [[Lake Erie AVA|Lake Erie]] North Shore regions of [[Ontario]].<ref name="Clarke pg 281"/>

===South America===
Both [[Argentine wine|Argentina]] and [[Chilean wine|Chile]] have significant plantings of the grape with some producers in [[Brazilian wine|Brazil]] and [[Uruguayan wine|Uruguay]] also experimenting with the [[varietal]].<ref name="Robinson pg 754"/>

===Australia===
In Australia, [[Yalumba]] is 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.<ref name="Robinson pg 754"/> Yalumba grows the grape in the [[loam]] and [[clay]] soil of the [[Eden Valley wine region|Eden Valley]].<ref name="Clarke pg 278"/> Other areas with Viognier plantings include [[Clare Valley wine region|Clare Valley]], [[Rutherglen]], [[Murray River]], [[McLaren Vale]], [[Geelong]], [[Lake Nagambie|Nagambie Lakes]], [[Canberra]], [[Mornington Peninsula (wine)|Mornington Peninsula]], [[Barossa Valley (wine)|Barossa Valley]], [[Adelaide Hills wine region|Adelaide Hills]], [[Geographe Bay|Geographe]], [[South Burnett]], [[Yarra Valley]] (Pimpernel Vineyards) and [[Pyrenees (Victoria)|Pyrenees]]

===New Zealand===
{{further|Rhône Rangers}}
In New Zealand, small amounts of Viognier are grown on [[Waiheke Island]] and [[Wairarapa]].  In the [[Hawke's Bay Region]], the grape is used as a single varietal as well as being blended with [[Syrah]] to produce a traditional Rhône style red wine.

===Israel===
{{further|Israeli wine}}
Many  Israeli wineries, particularly in the north, such as [[Golan Heights Winery|Yarden]], [[Tishbi Winery|Tishbi]] and [[Dalton Winery|Dalton]] have cultivated the grape and produced Viognier wines and blends with it with much success.

==Wine==
[[File:Clay Station Viognier 2007.jpg|thumb|right|upright|A Viognier wine from California]]
Viognier wines are well known for their [[floral]] aromas, and [[terpene]]s, which are also found in [[Muscat grape|Muscat]] and [[Riesling]] wines. 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 sweet [[Late harvest wine|late-harvest]] [[dessert wine]]s have been made.

It is a grape with low [[acidity]]; it is sometimes used to soften wines made predominantly with the red [[Syrah]] grape. In addition to its softening qualities the grape also adds a colour-stabilizing agent and enhanced perfume to the red wine.<ref name="Robinson pg 754"/> In the Rhone region, the grapes normally are not affected by the fungus ''[[Botrytis cinerea]]'' though botrytized Viognier is not unheard of.

In winemaking, the grapes are often [[harvest (wine)|harvested]] early in the morning to produce the clearest juice possible. Some winemakers will allow contact with the skins. The skin of Viognier is high in [[Phenolic content in wine|phenols]] - 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 through [[malolactic fermentation]] to give the wine more weight and to decrease acidity. In New World Viognier, the [[lees (fermentation)|lees]] may be stirred in a process called ''batonnage'' in order to increase the smooth texture of the wine. The wine is then left on the lees till bottling in a manner similar to [[sparkling wine production]].<ref name="Clarke pg 279"/>

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 as ''à l'assiette'' where a plate is held underneath a Viognier vine that is then shaken to allow the overripe grapes to drop onto the plate. [[Fermentation (food)|Fermentation]] is then stopped early through the use of [[sulphur dioxide]] to allow the wine to retain a high level of [[residual sugar]]. The wine is then chilled and put through [[Asepsis|sterile]] [[filter (chemistry)|filtration]] to ensure that the wine is [[stable (wine)|stable]] and will not start fermenting again in the bottle.<ref name="Clarke pg 279"/>

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.<ref name="Clarke pg 282">O. Clarke ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 282 Harcourt Books 2001 {{ISBN|0-15-100714-4}}</ref>

==Food pairing==
The highly aromatic and fruit forward nature of the grape allows Viognier to pair well with spicy foods such as [[Thai cuisine]].<ref name="MacNeil pg 87">K. MacNeil ''The Wine Bible'' pg 87 Workman Publishing 2001 {{ISBN|1-56305-434-5}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.sallys-place.com/beverages/wine/vintnerschoice/viognier.htm Viognier: California's Exotic, Rare White Wine]
*[http://www.vinodiversity.com/viognier.html Viognier in Australia]
*[http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/07/grapes-of-the-rhone-valley-viognier.html Grapes of the Rhône Valley: Viognier] from the Tablas Creek blog

==Further reading==
*Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst; <cite>Wine Lover's Companion</cite>; Barron's; {{ISBN|0-8120-1479-0}} (paperback, 1995)

{{Wines}}

[[Category:White wine grape varieties]]
[[Category:Vis (island)]]