Viognier - wine grape variety

Viognier is an old variety restricted to the right bank of the Rhone river south of Vienne in France. In the appellation Cote-Rotie it is blended with  Shiraz to add perfume to the red wine, but in Condrieu it is vintaged alone to make a dry white wine with a floral scent and a long spicy aftertaste. Chateau Grillet, at the centre of Condrieu, with its 1.6 ha of Viognier, is the smallest vineyard with its own appellation in France and one of the most famous.

The vines have medium vigour and yields. The leaves are medium sized, orbicular, bullate and the petiolar sinus is an open V. The teeth are pointed and narrow. The leaves are downy below. The shoots are striated, clear green turning light brown in the sun, the nodes are pinkish and the tendrils are long and fleshy. The | bunches are medium in size, conical, winged and compact. The berries are small, slightly oval, white with a thick skin and a light musky flavour.

Viognier has not been grown extensively in Australia but there has been a recent increase in interest in this variety. The variety is not very fruitful and should be cane pruned. The special aromatic character of the wine could make it useful as a specialty line in some of the cooler regions of Australia.