Viognier is an old white wine grape, whose name is pronounced like this. Just how old isn't clear. It was present in France in the middle ages, and there are those who suspect it is the grape referred to by classical writers as a grape from the eastern coast. The University of California at Davis' viniculture DNA studies have determined that Viognier is very closely related to white grape known as Freisa, a grape closely associated with Italy's Piedmont region, and that Viognier is a cousin of Nebblio, which means that they have at least one ancestor in common.

In the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries, Viognier thrived in France's Rhône region, until it was attacked by inadvertently imported phylloxera, a tiny insect that kills grape vines by feeding on the sap. Between that, and the damage done by World War I to the entire industry, by the mid 1960s Viognier was, in France, an endangered species. By 1965, the French Viognier industry was reduced to eight acres in France's Northern Rhône. Viognier is, fortunately, coming back in the Northern Rhône—Viognier is, in fact, the only grape allowed in the production of France's Condrieu, still produced in the Rhône valley.

The Viognier is a difficult, even a delicate grape, and easily succumbs to mildew. In order to cultivate the striking aroma the grape is famed for, Viognier must be picked at the height of ripeness, and then very quickly processed. Its high sugar content, partly responsible for the flavor, can be another difficulty in terms of producing wine, since high sugar typically equates with high alcohol, and the balance between the two can be tricky—though I note that most of the Viognier I've seen is in a dry or semi-dry style.

Viognier has been successfully re-introduced to France, as well as thriving in Australia (most particularly by Yalumba Estate), Chile and Brazil, with plantings of various sizes in Colorado, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, and Virginia. California and Washington in the U.S. have been especially successful in growing Viognier, and producing wine. Outside of France, very few plantings of Vigonier are more than ten years old; since the vines improve with age, the future looks promising. I have seen Viognier blends, especially from California, combining it with Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc. In France, Viognier is combined with Syrah, in an effort to produce a lighter Côte Rotie.

Praised frequently for its lovely aroma, a sweet, heady scent evocative of fruit, Viognier is also known for the interesting blend of sweet and spicy/peppery/herbal notes in its flavor. Viognier is a good companion for spicy Asian dishes, Viognier's range of flavors suits a wide array of dishes.