Viognier

Northern Rhone: Condrieu, Chateau-Grillet, Cote Rotie
Southern Rhone: Cotes du Rhone, Cotes du Rhone Villages, Lirac
Languedoc-Roussillon: Pays d’Oc

Viognier is a white grape variety used for still dry wine production. It is believed to originally come from the northern Rhône Valley (France). It is an early-budding and mid-ripening grape variety with relatively big, compact bunches and small, thick-skinned berries. It is fairly resistant to botrytis bunch rot (grey mold), but is wind-sensitive. Viognier typically produces monovarietal wines, but is also used in blends with different grape varieties. Classic blending partners are Syrah, Chardonnay, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne and Roussanne. Fermentation usually takes place in stainless steel tanks, sometimes in oak barrels; maturation – in stainless steel tanks, sometimes in oak barrels.