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  Quaffers® Feature - September 2003
Essential features for wine-lovers...
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QUICK TIP: Do you need instant wine credibility?
If you are short of time, the key concepts in our features are highlighted for you by coloured words. Come back to the feature at your leisure to fill in the details!
Don't forget to check our Glossary for any unfamiliar wine-related terms - if it's not there, why not Ask the Expert? |
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| Viognier - The new Chardonnay? |
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 Viognier used to be the great undiscovered grape, available only to those with seriously deep pockets who could afford the bottles from Condrieu and Château Grillet in the northern Rhône. Though it is still true that these bottles will have you begging at the Bank Manager's door, plantings of the variety have become widespread and affordable examples are now available. Most good wine bars will now have Viognier on their lists, so look out for it and give it a whirl.
 Viognier is a white grape with a deep yellow hue. Its naturally high sugar content means that the resultant wines tend to be full bodied with a relatively high alcohol content. Though a classy grape with an impeccable pedigree, Viognier wines should be drunk young when the best of its luxurious perfume is fresh and heady. The aroma of a good Viognier is a mix of peaches, apricots, honeysuckle and blossom. In the mouth it will be dry, fruity, full bodied, with reasonable acidity to give it structure, and in the region of 13% - 14% alcohol by volume.
Good examples of the grape can now be found across the globe, most notably in southern France, Australia, South Africa and California where it is gathering a cult following. As with any grape variety, the wines from different countries will differ in subtle ways, but well made Viognier will always have an elegant bouquet and fruity fullness. If you haven't tried it yet, look out for it next time you are buying a bottle. If you are already a fan, have a look at the bottles we have tasted this month and see if there is one to tempt you.
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| Coming up next month: Southern France - the New World in the Old World |
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