John Alban was so obsessed with viognier as a young man that he planted 32 acres of the French white wine grape.
“I almost single-handedly doubled the world’s acreage,” the California winemaker said recently, recalling what he described as his “very brash move” nearly 20 years ago. At the time, he said, there were only about 50 acres of viognier under cultivation in two small growing areas of France’s Rhone Valley, Condrieu and Chateau Grillet.
The grape was so rare it was on the verge of extinction. Now, viognier is being grown around the world, fueling growing consumer interest in this rich, aromatic wine with fruit-forward flavor. In California, agricultural officials estimate some 2,000 acres of viognier are under cultivation, and the grape is being grown in Australia, South America, Italy, Austria, South America and other regions of France.
Viognier (pronounced vee-oh-NYAY) can be pricey, running in the $16 to $20 range or higher, because the grapes are so hard to grow.
“It doesn’t give its best till the vines are perhaps 15 years old; it’s prone to diseases; it yields sparsely and it ripens irregularly. Put it simply, it’s a sod to grow,” maintains The Mitchell Beazley White Wine Guide, a British wine book. “And that’s why some growers in Condrieu often end up pulling all their vines and becoming civil servants.”
Yet California winemakers are undeterred. In 2003, 9,800 tons of viognier grapes were crushed to make wine, as opposed to just 231 tons in 1993, according to the Wine Institute, a California wine trade organization based in San Francisco.
“Many wineries, especially smaller wineries, are sensing an opportunity to provide something other than chardonnay and sauvignon blanc,” said Ronn Wiegand, publisher of Restaurant Wine, a bimonthly trade publication located in Napa, Calif. “More [viognier] labels are appearing because consumers are looking for something different.”
Though viognier is clearly benefiting from a growing consumer trend toward “anything but chardonnay,” the wine’s profile also is rising on its own merits.
“Viognier can be one of the most elegant, pretty and floral wines out there,” said Damien Casten, manager of A Taste of Vino in Hinsdale. Viognier smells good, “very floral, very melony,” Casten said, and is not marked by the “huge acidity” of sauvignon blanc or the minerality of chardonnay.
As for Alban, he was left “totally smitten” by his first sip of viognier and it helped fuel his resolve to learn more about Rhone wine grapes.
“I really went into wine because I thought it was peculiar that … while Europe made wine out of 500 varieties of grapes, California made wine out of two varieties, cabernet and chardonnay,” he recalled. “I thought there had to be, obviously, some things missing.”
Viognier’s classic profile is of an intense dry white wine “with vibrant floral qualities and an intriguing bouquet reminiscent of apricots, peaches and pears,” according to the Wine Lover’s Companion, a wine dictionary.
Yet as more growers around the world craft viognier, the wine-drinking public should expect to see more variation in style.
In California, richer, fuller styles are coming from growers in warmer areas of the state, including interior sections of Napa and Sonoma counties, Wiegand said. Crisp, classic styling will come from wines made in the cooler sections of California, especially the Sonoma coastal region.
Alban, whose Alban Vineyards is located in Arroyo Grande on California’s Central Coast, said viognier in France is also being made in a broader range of styles as more viognier vines are planted in different areas of the country.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Alban thinks California viognier is setting the pace. With 2,000 acres of viognier in California versus 200 acres in Condrieu, he said, American drinkers are more likely to be introduced to a California viognier.
Alban said French viogniers continue to be known for having “more body, more viscosity and more minerality” than California viogniers, which have “more focus, more precision and more acidity.” Now, more California viogniers have “the texture, the body and the length” found in the French wines, he said.
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A style chameleon
“Not my ideal viognier,” wrote one member of Good Eating’s tasting panel about one of the 13 wines sampled in our informal blind tasting. Given this once-scarce French wine grape is now being grown around the world and made into wines of varying styles and price points, the very idea of an “ideal” viognier becomes moot. Certainly, this panel went for Californian viogniers, with wines from the Golden State taking four of the top five positions.
Viognier is often dissed as making dumb, per-fumy wines. While a number of the wines sampled were quite aromatic, none could be considered dumb or soft. What the wines shared was a medium-thick body that felt like cream on the tongue. Here are the top 10 among the wines tasted.
2002 Whetstone Viognier Catie’s Corner Vineyard
This wine from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County was praised for its sparkling bright yellow color, lavender and honey scent and refreshing lime-tinged spritz. It would go well with a rich frittata at brunch, lemon chicken or lobster with black bean sauce at dinner.
(3 corkscrews) $28
2003 Miner Viognier Simpson Vineyard
This medium-bodied wine from California’s Central Valley is slightly syrupy but balanced. “Ohhh . . . so very berry,” one taster said about the aroma. Tasted of “buttered rum and flowers” on a “rich grape base,” she wrote. Most panelists liked the satiny body. Serve with roast pork or white beans with prosciutto and basil.
(3 corkscrews) $20
2002 d’Arenberg Viognier “The Last Ditch” McLaren Vale
An Aussie charmer with a flavor that, according to one taster, evokes images of “burnt sugar, pineapple, vanilla and hay.” There’s a brash, citrusy tang countered by plush tropical fruit and a long spicy finish. Suggested food pairings include rosemary chicken, linguine in cream sauce, creamed spinach, grilled calamari.
(3 corkscrews) $17
2003 Jaffurs Viognier Santa Barbara County
This California white earned praise for its light and refreshing tropical fruit flavor balanced by a pleasant shot of acidity. “Average,” sniffed one dissenter. Serve with chicken and mango relish, cold salmon or fruit salad.
(2 corkscrews) $23
2002 Alban Vineyards Viognier Edna Valley
There’s a minerality to this straightforward wine from California’s Central Coast that some panelists liked and others did not. “Flinty, dusty taste,” said one taster. “A wee bit sharp,” said another, but a third panelist gave the wine a perfect 10, praising its elegant balance. Serve with spicy Thai food, Chinese noodle dishes, grilled trout.
(2 corkscrews) $30
2003 Chateau de Campuget Viognier
This wine from southern France smelled of gardenias and pears and offered an interesting sauvignon blanc-like tartness that underscored the wine’s soft papaya and melon flavors. Yet one panelist groused that the wine was too tart, “lemony.” Serve with grilled salmon or shrimp, Asian noodle dishes, sauteed scallops.
(2 corkscrews) $11
2003 Yalumba Viognier South Australia
One panelist gave this Aussie wine a perfect 10, calling it “lovely, elegant, balanced, nuanced” and with “great tingly mouth feel.” Another praised the “stun-ning” tropical fruit aroma and dry styling. Those less enchanted complained of a slightly bitter finish and “new eraser” smell. Serve with grilled shrimp, baked stuffed shrimp, garlic pasta.
(2 corkscrews) $10
2002 Joseph Phelps Viognier
“Smooth ‘n’ sassy” is how one taster described this wine from Napa Valley. While she thought the wine evolved into a “butter-peach euphoria,” another panelist complained that the wine was “dry, dusty.” “Too much grass and not enough fruit,” a third taster said. Serve with entree-sized salads or spice-rubbed roasted chicken.
(2 corkscrews) $30
2003 Domaine de Coussergues Viognier
From France’s pays d’Oc region, this wine had a refreshing acidity balanced by a very creamy, mouth-filling texture. “Not much there,” one panelist said, “but a pleasant ‘porch wine’ ” Serve with grilled shrimp and mango, sturgeon, baked pasta with Gruyere.
(2 corkscrews) $9
2002 Gerard Bertrand Viognier
From France’s pays d’Oc region comes a wine that’s bright, tart with green apple notes but offering only a short finish. One taster compared it to mushrooms and Brie, others thought the wine too sour. “Where’s the fruitiness? Or butter?” one taster asked. Serve with grilled chicken, pasta and clam sauce, steamed mussels.
(2 corkscrews) $9
Sources: We found these wines at Sam’s Wines & Spirits, Binny’s Ivanhoe Castle and the Wine Discount Center at Famous Liquors in Forest Park. Not every wine may be in stock at your local stores; prices may vary from store to store. Prices are rounded off.
