Viognier
Viognier
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Viognier (pronounced vee-own-YAY[1]) is a white wine grape.
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[edit] History
Viognier is very ancient grape which originated in Dalmatia. It is believed that it was brought to Rhône by the Romans. Some also believe that it has been growing in Rhône for at least 2,000 years.[2]
Viognier was once a fairly common grape, though it is now a rare white grape grown almost exclusively in the northern Rhône regions of France. Around the 1960s, the grape was almost extinct when there were only eight acres in Northern Rhône. The popularity of the wine, as well as its price, has risen and thus the number of plantings have increased. Rhône now has over 740 acres planted.[2]
[edit] Viticulture
Viognier is a difficult grape to grow because it is prone to mildew. It also has low and unpredictable yields and needs to be picked only when fully ripe. When the grape is picked too early, it fails to develop the full extent of its aromas and tastes.
[edit] Regional production
Viognier has been planted much more extensively around the world since the early 1990s. Both California and Australia now have significant amounts of land devoted to the Viognier grape. There are also notable increases in planting in other states of the United States and in other countries.
In France, Viognier is the single permitted grape variety in the famous appellations of Condrieu and Château Grillet, which are located on the west bank of the Rhône River, about 40 km south of Lyon. The wines of Condrieu are the most famous, and most expensive, Viogniers in the world.
The decline of Viognier in France from its historic peak has much to do with the disastrous introduction of Phylloxera insects from North America into Europe in the mid- and late-1800s, followed by the abandonment of the vineyards due to the chaos of World War I. By 1965, only about 30 acres (120,000 m²) of Viognier vines remained in France, and the variety was nearly extinct. Even as late as the mid-1980s, Viognier in France was endangered. Paralleling the growth of Viognier in the rest of the world, plantings in France have grown dramatically since then.
Viognier grapes can be difficult to grow and low yielding. The variety is not very resistant to disease. Some wine critics feel that the terroir (microclimate) of the regions of France where it traditionally is grown is essential to its best expression in wine. It should neither be picked too early nor too late if wine of the highest quality is to be made. The grape prefers warmer environments and a long growing season, but can grow in cooler areas as well. It is a grape with low acidity; it is sometimes used to soften wines made predominantly with the red Syrah grape (Côte Rôtie from France or The Laughing Magpie from South Australia being two examples), and is blended with other white and red varieties, but it can make outstanding wines by itself. The color and the aroma of the wine suggest a sweet wine but Viognier wines are predominantly dry, although sweet late-harvest dessert wines have been made.
The best quality Viognier wines are well-known for their floral aromas, due to terpenes, which are also found in Muscat and Riesling wines. There are also many other powerful flower and fruit aromas which can be perceived in these wines (more than one wine enthusiast has even detected aromas of Froot Loops breakfast cereal in Viognier), depending on where they were grown, the weather conditions and how old the vines were, with vines greater than twenty years old thought to be superior to younger vines. 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 much 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.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst; Wine Lover's Companion; Barron's; ISBN 0-8120-1479-0 (paperback, 1995)
