Viognier: an In-Depth Wine Profile

Best Food Pairings for Viognier Wines

Pairing food with Viognier wines offers a journey through a wide range of flavours that complement Viognier´s profile. Here’s an overview of some of the best food pairings for Viognier wines:

• Seafood and Fish: Viognier's rich texture and aromatic intensity make it an excellent match for seafood dishes. Grilled shrimp with spicy sauce, salmon sashimi, and Filipino bangus (milkfish) with mild curry are all delightful choices that complement the wine's oily texture and fruit-forward profile​.
• Chicken and Poultry: The wine's fruity aromas and honey notes are a perfect match for poultry. Options include grilled chicken, chicken pot pie with creamy sauces, and crispy-skinned turkey, all of which enhance the tenderness and flavour of the meat​.
• Vegetarian Dishes: For a plant-based pairing, roasted vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, and onions work well, bringing out the wine's richness. Avoiding highly acidic fruits, a cheese and fruit plate can also beautifully complement Viognier's fruity notes​.
• Meat Dishes: While Viognier is typically associated with lighter fare, oak-aged versions can stand up to red meats. Light meats such as veal and pork, especially when accompanied by fruit chutneys or sauces, balance the wine's body and texture​.
• Spicy Foods: The wine's aromatic profile shines with spicy dishes. Pad Thai, Japanese noodles topped with Shichimi Togarashi, the Chinese steamed fish head dish, Duo jiao yu tou, chicken tagine over saffron rice, and Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches all make for exciting pairings that highlight Viognier's ability to balance spice with its fruit-forward sweetness​.
• International Cuisine: Viognier pairs well with a great range of international dishes, such as mild creamy curries, spicy Southeast Asian curries, chicken salads with apricot or mango, and fruity chicken or lamb tagines. Dishes incorporating ginger, saffron, and coconut complement the wine's exotic fruit flavours.

‍

Main Regions where Viognier is Produced

Viognier, a grape known for its fragrant and full-bodied white wines, has found its home in several key wine-producing regions across the globe. Each of these regions brings its unique climate to influence 

• Northern Rhône, France: In this region of Southern France, known as the birthplace of Viognier, you can find the Condrieu and Château Grillet appellations, where the grape thrives on granite-rich soils. The Mistral wind has a cooling effect on the vineyards, helping to temper the Mediterranean climate's heat, which is essential for developing the grape's distinct aromatic profile. The wines from this region are known for their complexity, with a balance of ripe peach and floral notes enhanced by subtle oak influences, and are often part of blends with grapes such as Grenache Blanc or Marsanne.
• California, USA: The Central Coast of California is a significant producer of Viognier wines. The diverse Californian terroir allows for a broad spectrum of Viognier styles, from leaner, more mineral-driven wines to fuller, oak-aged versions. Californian Viogniers tend to be higher in alcohol and are celebrated for their rich, fruit-forward character​​​.
• Virginia, USA: Recognized for its moderate climate within the Monticello AVA region, Virginia's Viognier benefits from the balance of warmth and cooling influences, which helps maintain the grape's acidity while allowing for full flavour development. The wines here are often noted for their aromatic intensity and elegance​.
• South America (Argentina and Chile): In regions like Argentina and Chile, Viognier is produced in climates that vary from cooler, maritime-influenced areas to warmer inland sites. The cool climate regions, such as Chile's Casablanca Valley, are known for producing wines with fresh, zippy qualities, contrasting with the more viscous styles of warmer climates. These wines are highly aromatic, with a marked structure and vibrant fruit flavours​​.
• Australia: Yalumba is Australia's most notable producer of Viognier, especially in the Eden Valley, where the loam and clay soils contribute to the wine's perfumed aromatics and complexity. The country's diverse climate allows for a range of Viognier styles, from aromatic and fresh to richly textured and full-bodied​.
• New Zealand: Particularly in the North Island's Hawke's Bay Region, Viognier is used both as a single varietal and blended with Syrah to produce wines that are highly aromatic and maintain a lively acidity, thanks to the region's combination of heat and sea breezes​.

‍

Tips for Serving and Storing Viognier Wines

To fully appreciate the delicate floral notes, rich flavors, and medium acidity of Viognier, it's essential to serve and store it correctly. Here are some tips to help you enjoy Viognier at its best.

Serving Viognier

• Temperature: Serve Viognier at around 50-52°F (9-12°C). This temperature range allows the wine's complexity and depth of character to shine, making it ideal for days when you need a bold white wine​​.
• Glassware: Use regular medium-sized white wine glasses for serving. If you have them, specialized aroma collector glasses can enhance the experience by highlighting Viognier's pronounced floral aromas. However, standard white wine glasses are more than sufficient for a gratifying drinking experience​​.
• Decanting: Decanting Viognier is not essential, but a short period of aeration (no more than 20 minutes) can benefit its complex character, allowing the wine to express its aromatic intensity fully​​.

Storing Viognier

• Location: Store Viognier in a cool, dark place to preserve its flavor and prevent oxidation. A home refrigerator or a wine cooler can be ideal, especially if you aim to maintain the wine at its optimal serving temperature​​.
• Temperature: The ideal temperature for storing Viognier ranges from 45°F to 50°F (7-10°C). Avoid storing wine where temperatures fluctuate significantly, as this can damage the wine's flavor and aroma​​.
• Humidity and Light: Keep humidity levels around 65% to maintain cork integrity, and store bottles away from direct sunlight and artificial light sources to protect the wine's quality​​.
• Consumption: Once opened, Viognier should be consumed within one to two days. Exposure to oxygen can affect the quality of the wine, so it's best to drink it while it's fresh​​.

Extra Tips for Enjoyment

Temperature Sensitivity: Be mindful of serving Viognier too cold or too warm. Serving it too chilled can suppress the wine's flavors, while too warm temperatures can make the alcohol too pronounced, overshadowing the delicate aromas and tastes​​.

By following these tips, you can ensure that every glass of Viognier you pour is as enjoyable as possible, allowing you to fully appreciate the nuances and depth of this exquisite white wine.

‍

‍

Similarities and Differences Between Viognier and Chardonnay

Viognier and Chardonnay are two wines that are very similar in theory, and for that reason, it can be confusing to distinguish between them. However, they also have some differences that make them unique. Here is an overview of the main similarities and differences between both wines.

Similarities between Viognier and Chardonnay Wines

• Full-bodied white wines: Both Viognier and Chardonnay are known for their full-bodied nature, offering a rich and complex tasting experience​.
• Oak aging potential: They both can be aged in oak barrels, which adds a creamy texture and complexity to the wines. However, the specific influence of oak can vary widely between individual wines.
• Versatility in food pairing: Due to their complexity and range of flavours, both wines pair well with a variety of foods, making them suitable for many occasions and cuisines​

Differences between Viognier and Chardonnay Wines

• Aromatic profiles: Chardonnay typically exhibits fruit aromas like yellow apple and lemon, possibly with vanilla and butter notes if oak-aged. Viognier, however, is highly aromatic with floral notes such as rose petals and exotic perfume, alongside fruit flavours like tangerine.
• Texture and taste: Chardonnay is known for its creamy or waxy palate with a focus on lemon and yellow apple flavours, especially when oak-aged. Viognier tends to have a softer start that builds into an oily texture on the mid-palate, often with a limey-tangerine note on the finish.
• Acidity and mouthfeel: Chardonnay generally has a higher acidity, contributing to its structure and crispness. In contrast, Viognier usually displays a lower acidity, leading to a smoother and richer mouthfeel.
• Geographical origins and lineage: Both grapes originated in France, but Chardonnay is part of the Pinot family, thriving in cooler climates, while Viognier is related to Syrah, preferring warmer climates.

‍