Variety spotlight: Get to know Australian viognier through these 16 examples

Whether made as a varietal wine or blended with shiraz or other white grapes, viognier is relatively prevalent in Australia today. There is just shy of 800 hectares planted across the country, which despite making up less than two per cent of our total white plantings, is nonetheless impressive when you consider that the variety came within 15 hectares of global extinction around four decades ago.
 
Originally from the Northern Rhône, where it’s the only permitted variety in the Condrieu appellation (and Château-Grillet, the single-property appellation that lies within it), viognier produces highly aromatic, full-bodied, low-acid, and high-alcohol white wines with distinct apricot and blossom/honeysuckle characters. It’s not an easy grape to grow – it needs a long, warm growing season to develop its trademark aromatics, it’s low yielding, and susceptible to disease. In the winery, it needs to be handled carefully to avoid its signature oiliness from becoming too overt.

Viognier is particularly food friendly, says Yalumba winemaker Louisa Rose.

Viognier produces rich, bold and complex wines, that can be aged in the best examples. It can be either oaked or unoaked, and while dry styles are more common, it is sometimes used to make off-dry or sweet wines. It’s also exceptionally food-friendly – Yalumba winemaker Louisa Rose says it’s easier to list foods the grape doesn’t pair with rather than those that do.
 
Yalumba is Australia’s greatest champion of the variety. They first planted viognier in the Eden Valley in 1980, and today produce it across several tiers and price points. Yet while their top-of-the-range The Virgilius is still seen as Australia’s leading example, it now contends with other premium expressions from the likes of Yarra Yering, Yeringberg and even Clonakilla, who is arguably best known for their shiraz viognier blend, but also make excellent varietal viognier.
 
In light of International Viognier Day – invented by Yalumba in 2021 and held on the last Friday in April each year – we’ve rounded up a selection of 16 highly rated varietal viognier wines from across the country for you to try.

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