Viognier

Viognier is a dry, aromatic white grape best known from France’s Rhône Valley, packed with peach, apricot and honeysuckle alongside citrus, spice and a rich, silky texture. Full-flavoured but beautifully fragrant, it’s brilliant with roast chicken, creamy pasta, prawns, Thai curry, grilled fish and aromatic Asian dishes.

Taste:

Peachy, floral and absolutely not here to fade into the background.

Viognier is typically dry and medium to full-bodied, with a rich, smooth texture and moderate acidity. Expect ripe peach, apricot and nectarine, often joined by honeysuckle, orange blossom and subtle citrus.

Some styles bring tropical fruit and gentle spice into the mix, while oak-aged Viognier can develop flavours of vanilla, toast and even more richness.

It’s one of the more intensely aromatic dry whites, and that combination of perfume, ripe stone fruit and body makes it feel considerably more indulgent than many crisp white wines.

If your idea of white wine begins and ends with "light and citrusy", Viognier has entered the chat.

Food Pairings:

Viognier’s rich texture and aromatic fruit make it brilliant with creamy, spicy and fragrant dishes.

For meat, try roast chicken, grilled chicken, chicken in a creamy sauce or roast pork. It works particularly well with dishes featuring apricot, peach or aromatic spices.

Seafood is another great match, especially prawns, scallops, crab, grilled fish, sea bass and salmon.

Creamy dishes work beautifully too. Try chicken Alfredo, creamy chicken pasta, mushroom pasta, seafood pasta or mushroom risotto.

Viognier is also excellent with aromatic Asian food. Thai green curry, mild chicken curry, coconut-based curry and dishes featuring ginger, lemongrass or coriander can all work brilliantly with its floral, fruity character.

For cheese, try Brie, Camembert, goat’s cheese or other creamy, softer styles.

Similar Wines:

If you enjoy Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne are natural next steps for more full-flavoured whites from the Rhône Valley.

Chardonnay is worth exploring if it’s Viognier’s richer texture you love, particularly fuller, oak-aged styles.

Gewürztraminer takes the floral aromatics and exotic fruit even further, while Grenache Blanc offers another rounded Mediterranean white with plenty of character.

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More About Viognier:

Viognier is most famously associated with the northern Rhône Valley in France, particularly the tiny appellation of Condrieu, where it produces intensely aromatic white wines.

The grape was once remarkably close to disappearing, with only a small amount planted in the Rhône by the 1960s. Thankfully, interest returned and Viognier spread far beyond France to countries including Australia, the United States and South Africa.

It’s also sometimes blended in small amounts with Syrah – yes, a white grape going into a red wine – particularly in the northern Rhône appellation of Côte-Rôtie. Co-fermentation can add fragrance and influence the finished wine’s texture and colour.

Nearly extinct, famously floral and occasionally sneaking into red wine.

Viognier clearly enjoys keeping things interesting.