Variety
WhiteViognier
The Rhône diva – apricot, orange blossom, oily texture, little acidity. Needs warmth; a growing following in the Pfalz and Australia.
Portrait
Viognier is a white variety from the Rhône Valley; it is at home in the area of Condrieu and Château-Grillet in the northern Rhône. In the 20th century the variety was close to disappearing and has since been rediscovered in many wine countries. The variety is rooted in the Alpine and Rhône regions. In Germany it is grown in Pfalz, and in the atlas also in Western Australia.
The vine buds early, ripens mid-season to late and prefers warm sites with granite or limestone; it is unreliable in yield and susceptible to mildew. The wines are powerful, with low acidity, apricot, peach, blossom and spice. Excess warmth makes them flabby and high in alcohol.
Viognier goes with poultry, shellfish, spicy cooking and mild cheeses.
Taste profile
Six axes — acidity, sweetness, body, tannin, aroma intensity and depth — on a 0–5 scale, based on typical style. Real wines vary by region and producer.
Typical aromas — Viognier
These 5 aromas typically define Viognier. Actual taste experience varies by region and style.
Apricot
Orange blossom
Honey
Ginger
Violet
Viognier aroma families
These aroma categories are characteristic of Viognier. Other varieties have different focuses.
Fruit aromas are the most common and come directly from the grape, ranging from citrus through stone fruit to black berries.
Floral aromas are especially marked in aromatic varieties like Riesling and Gewürztraminer.
Spicy aromas often emerge from oak aging (vanilla, clove) or with maturity (black pepper).
Key regions
Viognier is grown in the following regions of our atlas. Click to see wineries.
Wineries with Viognier
3 curated profiles in our atlas grow Viognier.
3 wineries
Weingut & Vinothek Tobias Mussler
Pfalz · Leiningerland (Nordpfalz) · Bissersheim
Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Grauburgunder
Weingut Markus Schneider
Pfalz · Mittelhaardt · Ellerstadt
Riesling, Weißburgunder, Grauburgunder
Domeniile Clos Des Colombes
Dobrudscha · Murfatlar
Riesling, Pinot Gris, Viognier