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Viognier is a white wine grape. Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice For the Tokyo University supercomputer see Gravity Pipe. GRAPE, or GRA phics P rogramming E nvironment is It is the only permitted grape for the French wine Condrieu in the Rhone valley. French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, on over 800000 Hectares (over 2 million Acres of Vineyards and in a typical Condrieu (From the French coin de ruisseau meaning "corner of the Brook " is a French wine -growing Appellation d'Origine The Rhône wine region in Southern France is situated in the Rhône river valley and produces numerous wines under various Appellation d'origine contrôlée [1]

Contents

History

The origin of Viognier is not completely known with several theories abounding. Most experts agree that Viognier is an ancient grape that may have originated in Dalmatia and was brought to Rhône by the Romans. Dalmatia ( Croatian: Dalmacija, see names in other languages) is a region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, situated mostly in modern Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC [2] One legend states that the Roman emperor Probus brought the vine himself to the region in AD 281. The Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period (starting at about 27 BC Marcus Aurelius Probus (c August 19, 232 &ndashSeptember/October 282 was a Roman Emperor (276&ndash282 Another legend has the grape packaged with Syrah on a cargo ship navigating the Rhone River en route to Beaujolais when it was captured by a local group of outlaws known as culs de piaux near the site of present day Condrieu. Syrah is a dark-skinned variety of Grape used in Wine. Syrah is grown in many countries and is primarily used to produce powerful Red wines which enjoy The Rhone, or the Rhône is one of the major Rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France. Beaujolais is a French Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC Wine generally made of the Gamay Grape which has a thin Condrieu is a French commune located in the Rhône département of the Rhône-Alpes région [3]

The origins of the name Viognier is similarly obscured with the most common namesake being the French city of Vienne which was a major Roman outpost. This article is about the French department Do not confuse with the Austrian capital Vienna. Another legend has it drawing its name from the Roman pronunciation of the via Gehennae meaning the "road to Hell" as a possible allusion to the grapes difficulties in growing. for the Polish film see Gehenna (film See also Jewish eschatology Gehennam (or gehenom or gehinom (גהינום is Hell, according to many Religious beliefs, is a location in the Afterlife, which may be described as a place of suffering An allusion is a figure of speech that makes a reference or representation of or to a well-known person place event literary work myth, or work of art [3]

Viognier was once a fairly common grape, though it is now a rare white grape grown almost exclusively in the northern Rhône regions of France. The Rhône wine region in Southern France is situated in the Rhône river valley and produces numerous wines under various Appellation d'origine contrôlée This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. In 1965, the grape was almost extinct when there were only eight acres in Northern Rhône producing only 1,900 liters of wine. The popularity of the wine, as well as its price, has risen and thus the number of plantings have increased. Rhône now has over 740 acres (3. 0 km²) planted. [2]

In 2004, DNA profiling conducted at University of California, Davis showed the grape to be closely related to the Piedmont grape Freisa and to be a genetic cousin of Nebbiolo. The University of California Davis, commonly known as UC Davis, or just UCD, is a public coeducational university located in the city of Davis, Piedmont ( Piemonte; Piedmontese and Occitan: Piemont; French: Piémont) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. Freisa is a Wine Grape variety grown in the Piedmont region of north-west Italy primarily in Monferrato and in the Langhe, but also cousin in Kinship terminology is a relative with whom one shares a common Ancestor, but in modern usage the term is rarely used when referring to a The Nebbiolo ( Italian) or Nebieul ( Piedmontese) is one of the most important wine Grape varieties of Italy 's Piedmont [1]

Viticulture

Viognier can be a difficult grape to grow because it is prone to powdery mildew. Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that affects a wide range of plants It also has low and unpredictable yields and needs to be picked only when fully ripe. When the grape is picked too early, it fails to develop the full extent of its aromas and tastes. When picked too late the grape produces wine that is oily and lacking perfume. Winemakers in the Condrieu often pick the grapes with a level of sugar that eventually will produce wine with alcohol in the 13% range. [4] When fully ripe, the grapes have a deep yellow color and produce wine high in alcohol with a strong perfume. In Chemistry, an alcohol is any Organic compound in which a Hydroxyl group ( - O[[hydrogen H]]) is bound to a Carbon [1] The grape prefers warmer environments and a long growing season, but can grow in cooler areas as well.

In France, the Mistral atmospheric phenomenon has a distinct effect on the Viognier vineyards in the Northern Rhone. The Mistral in France is a fresh or cold often violent and usually dry Wind, blowing throughout the year but is most frequent in winter and spring The wind acts as a tempering agent to the Mediterranean climate of the regions, cooling the vines down after the severe heat of the summer time season. A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the Climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide [4]

Wine expert Remington Norman has identified two distinct strains of Viognier—an "Old World" strain, most common in Condrieu, and a "New World" strain, which is found in the Languedoc and other areas. Remington Norman is a Wine merchant and Author who has written books on Burgundy and Rhone style wine While being the same grape, the two different strains seem to produce distinctly different wines. [3]

The age of the vine also has an effect on the quality of the wine produced with Viognier vines starting to hit their peak after 15-20 years. In the Rhone, there are vines of at least 70 years of age. [5]

Regional production

Viognier has been planted much more extensively around the world since the early 1990s. Both California and Australia now have significant amounts of land devoted to the Viognier grape. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. There are also notable planting increases in areas of moderate climate such as Virginia's Monticello AVA region. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state The Monticello AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in the central Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The decline of Viognier in France from its historic peak has much to do with the disastrous introduction of phylloxera insects from North America into Europe in the mid- and late-1800s, followed by the abandonment of the vineyards due to the chaos of World War I. This article is about the grape phylloxera For the Genus, see Phylloxera (genus. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All By 1965, only about 30 acres of Viognier vines remained in France, and the variety was nearly extinct. In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. Even as late as the mid-1980s, Viognier in France was endangered. Paralleling the growth of Viognier in the rest of the world, plantings in France have grown dramatically since then. The grape has been enjoying some success in Central Italy and in the Piedmont region as well as South Africa, New Zealand and Japan. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. [6]

France

In France, Viognier is the single permitted grape variety in the appellations of Condrieu and Château Grillet, which are located on the west bank of the Rhône River, about 40 km south of Lyon. Château-Grillet is a Wine -growing AOC and Winery in the northern Rhône wine region of France, near Vienne. The Rhone, or the Rhône is one of the major Rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France. ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France. The majority of French Viogniers are sold as Vin de Pays in the Languedoc. Vin de pays is a French term meaning "country wine" Vins de pays are a step in the French wine classification which is above the table wine ( Vin de table Languedoc ( in French Lengadòc in Occitan) is a former Province of France, now continued in the modern-day ''régions'' of Languedoc-Roussillon In the Rhone wine region, the grape is often blended with Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache blanc, and Rolle. The Rhône wine region in Southern France is situated in the Rhône river valley and produces numerous wines under various Appellation d'origine contrôlée Roussanne is a white Wine Grape grown originally in the Rhône wine region in France, where it is often blended with Marsanne Marsanne is a white Wine Grape, most commonly found in the northern Rhône, where it is often blended with Roussanne. Grenache blanc is a variety of white Wine Grape that is related to the red grape Grenache. Vermentino is a late-ripening white grape originating in Spain or Madeira, or perhaps Portugal, and now widely planted in Corsica, Sardinia In the Northern Rhone the grape is sometimes blended with Chardonnay. Chardonnay is a green-skinned Grape variety used to make white Wine. [1] Vignerons in France often look to plant Viognier in areas rich in granite soil that have a heat retaining quality that the grape seems to thrive in. Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of Wine, starting with selection of the Grapes and ending with bottling the finished wine Granite (ˈɡrænɪt is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, Felsic, igneous rock. [4] Beaujolais winemaker Georges Duboeuf help expand the reach of the grape with plantings in the Ardèche region. Georges Duboeuf (born 1933 in Crèches, France) is the founder of Les Vins Georges Duboeuf one of the largest and best-known wine merchants in France Ardèche ( Occitan and Arpitan: Ardecha) is a department in south-central France named after the Ardèche River. [7] In the Côte-Rôtie AOC up to 20% of red wine blends can include Viognier though most growers add no more than 5%. Côte-Rôtie is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC in the northern Rhône wine region of France. Since Viognier ripens earlier than Syrah, the grape is normally harvested separately and added to the Syrah during fermentation. The process of fermentation in Wine is the Catalyst function that turns Grape juice into an Alcoholic beverage. One of the benefits of adding Viognier is the process of co-pigmentation that is produced which stabilizes the coloring of the red wine. For the drug referred to as "pigment" see Black tar heroin. [8]

North America

Since the late 1980s, plantings of Viognier in the United States and Canada have increased dramatically. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page California's Central Coast is the leading producer with over 2,000 acres (8 km²) of the grape planted. The Central Coast is an area of California, United States, roughly spanning the area between the Monterey Bay and Point Conception. Californian Viogniers are noticeably higher in alcohol compared to other wines made from the grape. [1] The Rhone Rangers of the mid 1980s help spark the increased interest in Viognier in California. The Rhone Rangers are a group of Winemakers who promote the use of Grape varieties from the Rhône Valley in the south of France. [9] The grape can also be found in Washington State, Colorado, New York and Virginia as well as British Columbia and the Niagara region of Ontario. The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C [6]

South America

Both Argentina and Chile have significant plantings of the grape with some producers in Brazil and Uruguay also experimenting with the varietal. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America Varietal describes Wines made primarily from a single named Grape variety. [1]

Australia

In Australia, Yalumba is the country's largest producer of the grape making both a white wine varietal and making extensive use of the grape in its Syrah blends. Yalumba is a winery located near Angaston South Australia in the Barossa Valley. [1] Yalumba grows the grape in the loam and clay soil of the Eden Valley. Loam is Soil composed of Sand, Silt, and Clay in relatively even concentration (about 40-40-20% concentration respectively considered Clay is a naturally occurring material composed primarily of fine-grained Minerals which show plasticity through a variable range of Water content, and Eden Valley is the name of several places Eden Valley South Australia in Australia Eden Valley Minnesota in the United States of America [4] Other areas with Viognier plantings include Rutherglen, Murray River, McLaren Vale, Geelong, Nagambie Lakes, Canberra, Mornington Peninsula, Barossa Valley,Adelaide Hills and Tenterfield. Rutherglen (pronounced ruh-ther-glen is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The Murray River, or River Murray and sometimes informally referred to as the "Mighty Murray" is Australia 's largest River. McLaren Vale is a Wine region approximately 35 km south of Adelaide in South Australia. MCite/Citephp.--> Geelong (dʒəˈlɔŋ is the second largest city in the state Lake Nagambie is a lake Victoria Australia. There is a town called Nagambie on its shores Canberra ( is the capital city of Australia With a population of over 340000 it is Australia's largest inland City. The Mornington Peninsula is a Peninsula located south-east of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, surrounded by Port Phillip, Western The Barossa Valley is a major wine-producing region and tourist destination of South Australia, located 60 km northeast of Adelaide. The Adelaide Hills are part of the Mount Lofty Ranges, east of the city of Adelaide in the state of South Australia. Tenterfield, is a town parish and Local Government Area (see Tenterfield Shire Council) in New South Wales, Australia. [8]

Wine

Viognier wines are well-known for their floral aromas, due to terpenes, which are also found in Muscat and Riesling wines. A flower, also known as a bloom or Blossom, is the reproductive structure found in Flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also Terpenes are a large and varied class of Hydrocarbons, produced primarily by a wide variety of plants particularly Conifers though also by some insects such The muscat family of Grapes of the species Vitis vinifera is widely grown for Wine, Raisins and Table grapes Their color Riesling is a white Grape variety which originates in the Rhine region of Germany. There are also many other powerful flower and fruit aromas which can be perceived in these wines depending on where they were grown, the weather conditions and how old the vines were. Although some of these wines, especially those from old vines and the late-harvest wines, are suitable for aging, most are intended to be consumed young. Viogniers more than three years old tend to lose many of the floral aromas that make this wine unique. Aging these wines will often yield a very crisp drinking wine which is almost completely flat in the nose. The color and the aroma of the wine suggest a sweet wine but Viognier wines are predominantly dry, although sweet late-harvest dessert wines have been made. Late harvest is a term applied to Wines made from Grapes left on the Vine longer than usual Dessert wines (or pudding wines BrE) are sweet Wines typically served with Dessert, such as Sauternes and Tokaji It is a grape with low acidity; it is sometimes used to soften wines made predominantly with the red Syrah grape. Syrah is a dark-skinned variety of Grape used in Wine. Syrah is grown in many countries and is primarily used to produce powerful Red wines which enjoy In addition to its softening qualities the grape also adds a stabilizing agent and enhanced perfume to the red wine. [1]

In winemaking, the grapes are often harvested early in the morning to produce the clearest juice possible. The Harvesting of Wine Grapes is one of the most crucial steps in the process of Winemaking. Some winemakers will allow contact with the skins. The soft skin of Viognier is high in phenols compounds which can leave an oily component to the wine if left in contact with the skins for too long. In Organic chemistry, phenols, sometimes called phenolics, are a class of Chemical compounds consisting of a Hydroxyl group (- Sometimes the wine is put through malolactic fermentation to give the wine more weight and to decrease acidity. Malolactic fermentation (or sometimes malolactic conversion) is a process of a change used in Winemaking where tart-tasting Malic acid, naturally present In New World Viognier, the lees maybe stirred in a process called batonnage in order to increase the acid levels of the wine. Lees refers to deposits of dead Yeast or residual yeast and other particles that precipitate or are carried by the action of " Fining " to the bottom of The wine is then left on the lees till bottling in a matter similar to sparkling wine production. There are three main methods of sparkling wine production The first is simple injection of Carbon dioxide (CO2 the process used in Soft drinks, [5]

In the creation of the dessert style Viognier, the grapes are often picked in late October or early November. In the Rhone region, the grapes normally are not affected by the fungus Botrytis cinerea though botrytized Viognier is not unheard of. Botrytis cinerea is a Fungus that affects many plant species although its most notable hosts may be Wine Grapes In Viticulture A common harvest technique used in the Condrieu is known as à l'assiette where a plate is held underneath a Viognier vine that is then shaken to allow the overripe grapes to drop unto the plate. Fermentation is then stopped early through the use of sulphur to allow the wine to retain a high level of residual sugar. Fermentation in Food processing typically refers to the conversion of Sugar to Alcohol using Yeast under Anaerobic conditions Sulfur or sulphur (ˈsʌlfɚ see spelling below) is the Chemical element that has the Atomic number 16 The wine is then chilled and put through sterile filtering to ensure that the wine is stable and will not start fermenting again in the bottle. In Chemistry and common usage a filter is a device (usually a membrane or layer that is designed [5]

The wine is meant to be consumed relatively young and typically loses its perfume as it ages. Depending on the winemaking style the grape can often hit its peak at one year of age though some can stay at high levels of quality up to ten years. Typically Condrieu wines are the Viogniers most often meant to be drunk young while Californian and Australian wines can handle age a little bit better. [10]

Food pairing

The highly aromatic and fruit forward nature of the grape allows Viognier to pair well with spicy foods such as Thai cuisine. [11] or Vietnamese cuisine.

Also, shellfish, such as Dungeness crab, are an ideal pairing.

External links

Further reading

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h J. Robinson "The Oxford Companion to Wine" Third Edition pg 754 Oxford University Press 2006 ISBN 0198609906
  2. ^ a b Enjoying Viognier.com
  3. ^ a b c O. Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 277 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144
  4. ^ a b c d O. Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 278 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144
  5. ^ a b c O. Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 279 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144
  6. ^ a b O. Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 281 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144
  7. ^ O. Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 276 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144
  8. ^ a b O. Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 280 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144
  9. ^ K. MacNeil The Wine Bible pg 240 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345
  10. ^ O. Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 282 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144
  11. ^ K. MacNeil The Wine Bible pg 87 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345
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