In France, this grape varietal grows in only a few places, most notably in Condrieu, a village in the northern Rhone Valley. It’s considered difficult to grow and low-yielding, so the French don’t make much of it. In 1965, there were only eight hectares of it left in the Rhone Valley. That’s just 15 football fields. It was in in danger of going extinct. 

That would be a shame because Viognier, when done right, produces a soft, round wine with notes of honeysuckle, oranges and pineapples. British wine writer Oz Clarke raves about it. He says it “oozes sex and sensuality.” Luckily for us, it does well in Virginia’s heat and humidity. It doesn’t rot easily due to its thick skin and loose clusters. And, importantly, it’s a good match for our long, hot summers. In cooler climates, Viognier doesn’t develop its perfume and flavor until very late in the season. This increases the risk that something will go wrong — a frost, a hailstorm, a torrent of rain.  But in Virginia’s heat, we don’t have to worry about late ripening fruit. The bigger concerns are low yields and susceptibility to spring frost damage.

In 2011, the Virginia Wine Board designated Viognier the state’s official grape. Many winemakers have said privately that this was highly premature. In recent years, Petit Manseng seems to have become Virginia’s white varietal of choice. In 2023, only two Viognier’s won gold medals.

Trivia:

• The age of a Viognier vine is important. Some say the vines need to be at least 15-20 years old to produce good wine. 

• The most famous Viognier in the world is from Chateau Grillet in Condrieu. Prices per bottle start around $400.

• In France, at least, small amounts of Viognier are added to red wines (like Syrah) to soften them up.

Serve cold: 45-55 degrees.