Viognier’s harvest time is curiously unpredictable. As winemakers attempt to hold out for preferred flavors, the grape can abruptly blossom into full maturity as a sticky, super-sugary cluster. This late sticky harvest, is not usually desirable.
The 1970’s was a breath of life for Viognier based wines, it moved outward from its tiny home in France to Australia, and a few vineyards in California. At the turn of the century it experienced a true renaissance, exploding outward to Italy, Switzerland, Spain, South Africa, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, and Japan. Enjoy the renaissance of this unique wine, it is listed at a good price in our online shop, our delivery is very fast and your sale is always a guaranteed purchase
When harvested, Viognier grapes are collected in the early morning, this helps create the clearest juice possible. Some harvesting techniques allow contact with the grape-skins. However, Viognier skins are high in phenols, which if left in contact too long, can leave an oily sensation to the wine. Depending on the preferred techniques of the vineyard, Viognier can become less acidic via malolactic fermentation, or more acidic by stirring the lees into the wine, a process known as batonnage. If batonnage is applied, the wine remains on the lees for some time before bottling.
Depending on the proclivities of the winemaker, Viognier often peaks just at a single year of age (usually from Condrieu), though there are some that remain at a quality state for up to a decade (usually from Australia).
