Viognier has the potential to produce full bodied wines with a lush, soft character. In contrast to Chardonnay, the Viognier varietal has more natural aromatics that include notes of peach, pears and violets. The only permitted grape for Rhône wine, Condrieu, also grown in areas where a long warm growing season exists. It naturally is a low yielding grape which makes it uneconomical for some wineries. There are significant plantings of Viognier in Australia and California, also the Languedoc has seen a massive increase in the grapes availability.
