Viognier

Originally from the Northern Rhône, Viognier produces very fine, perfumed wines. Viognier wines are known for their attractive aromas of apricot, grapefruit zest, honeysuckle, white flowers (jasmine, acacia), chamomile and green tea. It’s typical for even a bone-dry Viognier wine to have a pleasant illusion of sweetness.

Viognier performs exceptionally well in the dry, sunny Mediterranean climate of Maremma in Toscana. Fine, age-worthy Tuscan Viognier wines are matured in barriques. This grape responds well to oak, gaining complex aromas of dried stone fruit, ginger and almonds. In Sicily, Viognier is produced in a cleaner, unoaked style, and can often be found in blends with Sicilian grapes.

Read our Guide to Italian Viognier wine.

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Guide to Viognier Wine

Viognier in the Official Registry

Registration Code: 346

Official name: VIOGNIER B.

Official permitted synonyms: n/a

The grape has been registered in the official MiPAAF Registro Varietà since 1999. [1]

Where Italian Viognier wine is made

In France, Viognier is the speciality grape of the prestigious Condrieu appellation in the Northern Rhône. It almost went extinct in 1960s but became fashionable again in France during the 1990s – both along the Rhône and in Languedoc-Roussillon. Italy quickly reacted to the newfound global thirst for Viognier. It wasn’t officially recognised in Italy until 1999. After that, Viognier enjoyed a meteoric rise on Italian soil, with its vineyard area expanding from 28 hectares in 2000 to over 1,200 hectares in 2010 [1].

To put things in perspective, Viognier is planted more widely than many of Italy’s traditional grapes such as Arneis (970 hectares), Bosco (92 hectares), and Greco (830 hectares).

High-quality, DOC-level Viognier wine is mainly produced in two parts of Italy: Toscana and Sicilia.

Viognier wines from Toscana

Maremma is the part of Toscana that’s known for top-quality DOC-level Viognier wines. Here, They are produced either as single-varietal (100% Viognier), or blended with Italian native grapes – Vermentino, Trebbiano or Ansonica.

Small Tuscan estates often concentrate on premium Viognier wines made from hand-selected grapes. They are often matured in oak, and can develop further for many years.

Maremma Grossetana (southern Tuscan Maremma)

Maremma Toscana DOC is the largest denomination of southern Maremma. It lies between the Tyrrhenian sea and the hilly-mountain ranges of central Toscana. The Metallifere hills in the north reach 1000 metres above sea level, while in the south the dormant volcano Mount Amiata reaches 1,738 metres.

The best Viognier grapes in Maremma Toscana DOC come from vineyards planted on hillsides. The climate has a strong Mediterranean influence, but is quite dry because wet air currents are blocked by Sardinia. Drought can be a problem here. The vineyards are cooled by sea breezes, which help grapes to retain acidity and develop complex aromas.

Bianco di Pitigliano DOC lies on the flatlands and low hills of southern Maremma, on the border with Lazio. This appellation is a major producer of Trebbiano-based white wines for the local market. Here, Viognier can only be a minor blending grape. All wines must contain at least 40% Trebbiano, with the rest made up of Italian grapes (Malvasia Bianca Lunga, Grechetto and Ansonica) or French grapes (Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Viognier).

Monteregio di Massa Marittima DOC. This denomination lies on the hills between the medieval town of Suvereto and the Metallifere hills. It’s smaller than Maremma Toscana, and the majority of white wine production is dedicated to Italy’s native grapes – Vermentino and Trebbiano. 100% Viognier wine is produced too, under the label Monteregio di Massa Marittima Viognier DOC.

Alta Maremma (Northern Maremma)

Val di Cornia DOC is located on the Tyrrhenian Sea coast. It surrounds the Bolgheri appellation, famous for its Super Tuscan reds.

Val di Cornia vineyards are planted on lowlands, with alluvial soils consisting of sand, silt and clay. Here, Viognier is blended with traditional Italian grapes: Vermentino (min 50% of the blend), Trebbiano, Ansonica and Malvasia Bianca Lunga. Despite its close proximity to Bolgheri, the Val di Cornia’s production volumes are quite small.

Viognier wines from Sicily

Sicily excels in clean, unoaked white wines for easy-drinking. Viognier can typically be found in white blends with Sicilian and International grapes. 100% Viognier wines are not so common, but can be found too.

Despite its southern latitude, vineyards in Sicily are cooled by colder air at high altitudes. Some vineyards are planted as high as 1000 metres above sea level.

Sicilia DOC produces most of the island's Viognier wines, meeting the growing demand of the local and international markets. This new DOC (created in 2012) had a large impact on improving the quality of Sicilian wines by setting stringent winemaking rules.

Contessa Entellina DOC is a secluded appellation located in Valle del Belice (the valley of river Belice) – the arid inland hills of west Sicily. The most important producer here is Donnafugata. It produces white blends of Catarratto with Viognier and Chardonnay.

Contessa Entellina is one of three Sicilian villages populated by the Arbëreshë people since the 1480s. They migrated to Italy from Albania after the Ottoman conquest of the Byzantine Empire. To this day, the Arbëreshë preserve their unique culture, and still speak a language based on medieval Albanian.

Menfi DOC is a small appellation around the town of Menfi in south-west Sicily. “Planeta” produces a white blend based on Grecanico Dorato, Chardonnay and Viognier.

Sources:

[1] MiPAAF (1970-2010)

[2] ISMEA (2019)

[3] Karen MacNeil, The Wine Bible

[4] Wine Scholar Guild

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