Grape variety
Viognier
Viognier: the perfumed grape of the northern Rhône, known from Condrieu and as an addition to Côte-Rôtie. Origin, style, regions and what to eat.
- Colour
- White
- Origin
- Northern Rhône; according to DNA analysis closely related to Freisa from Piedmont
- Main regions
- Condrieu, Château-Grillet, Côte-Rôtie (Rhône), Languedoc, California, Australia
- Typical aromas
- Apricot, peach, violet, white blossom; full body, little acidity
- Classic pairing
- Poultry in cream sauce, scallops, mild Asian curries
- In Switzerland
- About 58 hectares (2025), spread over many cantons, nowhere more than about 20
Viognier is one of the few white grapes you can recognise blind by its scent: apricot, peach, violet and white blossom, with a full, oily body, little acidity and often a lot of alcohol. Its home is the northern Rhône, but its precise origin is obscure; the legend of the Roman emperor Probus is unproven. DNA analyses show a close relationship with Freisa from Piedmont; Viognier is thus a genetic cousin of Nebbiolo. On the northern Rhône it grows alongside Syrah.
In the 1960s the grape came close to disappearing: only a few hectares were left in Condrieu. It is hard to grow, yields are low and erratic, and it must be picked very ripe for the aroma to show. Only Condrieu’s growing reputation from the 1970s and interest from overseas gave it a future. Condrieu lies on the right bank of the Rhône south of Vienne, on steep granite slopes, and may contain nothing but Viognier. The appellation covers about 200 hectares; inside it lies Château-Grillet, at a little over three hectares one of the smallest appellations in France, also 100% Viognier. The wines are mostly dry today, more rarely sweet from late-picked grapes, and are best drunk young.
Viognier plays a supporting role in Côte-Rôtie, a few kilometres further north: up to 20% Viognier may be added to the red Syrah, and the grapes are fermented together. In practice the share is usually only a few per cent; the white grape adds perfume to the red wine. The vines stand there on very steep terraces held by stone walls above the river.
The grape has largely left the Rhône. Today it is often planted in the Languedoc, in California and in Australia, where the Yalumba estate is a pioneer in the Eden Valley, and also in South Africa, Argentina and Chile. In Switzerland the federal statistics for 2025 show about 58 hectares, spread over many cantons, in none more than about 20 hectares.
Viognier is not a shy wine. It gains from full ripeness but remains almost without acidity, which is why it is best young, in its first few years; oak and old vines are exceptions. The floral aromas fade in most wines after about three years. Its richness calls for dishes with weight: poultry and veal in cream sauce, scallops, mild cheeses and aromatic Asian cooking, for instance mild curries.