Viognier in focus: two varietal wines and a classic blend to try

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.

Viognier is not an easy grape to grow, which perhaps explains why it was nearly extinct in the mid ’80s. Thankfully, it’s much more prevalent today, with almost 800ha planted across Australia alone, where it’s used to produce both varietal wines and blends, either with shiraz or other white grapes. 

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.

Although Yalumba remains the greatest champion of the variety in Australia – the winery invented International Viognier Day in 2021 – they are no longer the outlier, with an increasing number of producers turning their hand to the grape.

Below, find three wines from Briar Ridge, HEAD Wines and Mulline to try.

Briar Ridge Vineyard Limited Release Viognier 2025 

I adore this compelling wine, redefining what is possible with viognier. It has a mesmerising dried orange peel thread wrapped around a Tahitian lime, pink guava and green apple core, supported by gentle underlying savouriness. There is also a slight edge that hooks you in and holds your interest. Utterly thrilling. Love it! – Toni Paterson, Halliday Wine Companion, 95 points.

Briar Ridge say: The thing that makes this wine special is the site, you can’t walk a row on the vineyard without tripping over limestone protruding from the red Terra Rossa soils. From the Davis family-owned Stonefields Vineyard in Wrattonbully, the 2025 vintage was notably dry with low disease pressure and even ripening, producing fruit with concentration, purity and texture.

Best enjoyed: Serve lightly chilled at 10–12°C in a medium to large white wine glass to let the aromatics and texture open. Avoid serving it too cold. This is a fuller, textural style of viognier, and a little air in the glass helps reveal its peach, citrus peel and subtle savoury oak notes.

While there is no ultimate food pairing for this wine, it does pair ultimately well with almost everything – meet versatility in a glass. It shines with spice, it pops with smoked meats and it purges oiliness in dishes. Anything chardonnay can do, this might just do better.  

RRP $40 | briarridge.com.au | Shop this wine

HEAD Wines The Contrarian Viognier 2024 

HEAD Wines say: This wine is from a high-altitude vineyard in Eden Valley that I've been working with for 10 years. The grapes were hand-picked early (11.5-12 baume) and whole bunch pressed into Austrian and French oak. It is a contrary wine that deliberately avoids the syrupy, ripe and high-alcohol style.

Best enjoyed: It is best served lightly chilled and in a white (chardonnay) wine glass. It pairs perfectly with garlic, herb and butter roast chicken.

RRP $40 | headwines.com.au | Shop this wine

Mulline Single Vineyard Sutherlands Creek Shiraz Viognier 2024 

Mulline say: This is a single vineyard wine from shiraz planted in 1988 in the Moorabool Valley in Geelong. We co-ferment 6% full viognier bunches in the ferment to give the lovely softness on the palate but to also lift aromatics and make this a bright and floral version of our cool climate Shiraz.

Best enjoyed: This wine is best served at 11–15°C, after a good slash of air in a decanter, and in a large glass, letting the wine show the lovely lift and spices. It can be served with either hard cheeses and small-goods, or with a well cooked steak frites – something to balance out the aromatics of spices in the wine.

RRP $62 | mulline.com | Shop this wine