Viognier

Viognier is mainly grown on the Rhône in France. The grape almost disappeared after the phylloxera crisis at the end of the 19th century and by 1968, only 14 hectares of vineyards were left in France. In the mid-1980s, Rhône wines experienced a renaissance from which the Viognier vine benefited. Total plantings increased  to 6,372 ha (2015) in France.

The grape variety was initially hard to find in Germany, yet due to the increasing warming, cultivation has increased slightly in recent years. In 2019, there were 22 hectares planted. Viognier is very drought-resistant, but relatively susceptible to powdery mildew.

Fully ripe Viognier grapes are deep golden yellow and almost brown, so the color of the wine is correspondingly strong and intense. The wines have a distinctive taste and often high alcohol levels of 13.5 to 14.5% vol. The characteristic aromatic fragrance of the Viognier is reminiscent of ripe apricot, mango, peach and other exotic fruits and floral aromas.

The wines should be drunk young when their scent is still youthful and their weak acid structure has not yet faded. Because of the low yields and the only 11,985 ha of acreage worldwide, Viognier wines are mostly high-priced. They go well with spicy Asian dishes.