Each week this summer we'll do a #GrapeSpotlight thread on one of our grapes. This week: #Viognier. Did you know:
Viognier's powerful aromas of peaches, apricots, and violets make it one of the most recognizable grapes. It has full body, low acid and is best drunk young. 1/
Viognier's powerful aromas of peaches, apricots, and violets make it one of the most recognizable grapes. It has full body, low acid and is best drunk young. 1/
Viognier is ancient. According to legend, Roman Emperor Probus imported Viognier into Condrieu from Dalmatia in 281 AD to replace vineyards destroyed by Vespasian, who tore up the local vineyards after a revolt that he attributed to drinking too much of the native wine. 2/
By the 1960's, Viognier plantings had dwindled to just 15 acres in Condrieu and 35 acres world-wide. But driven by the interest in the rich, heady wines of Condrieu, plantings in France have grown to more than 10,800 acres... growth of more than 30,000% in half a century! 3/
Viognier is not a permitted Chateauneuf-du-Pape grape, though it is common in Cotes du Rhone. Because of that, it is not a part of the @Beaucastel Chateauneuf Blanc, though it plays a role in the Coudoulet de Beaucastel Blanc, from the Cotes du Rhone portion of the estate. 4/
Significant Viognier acreage is also found in Australia, South Africa, Washington, Virginia, and California, where its nearly 3,000 acres is more than all the other Rhone whites combined. Early champions here included @josephphelps, @CaleraWine, #Alban, and @IsitIn3E 5/
We imported Viognier from Beaucastel with our first round of grapes in 1989. These were released to us in 1992, planted in 1994, and first harvested in 1997. The 5.8 acres we have on the estate is ~15% of our white acreage, third-most after Roussanne and Grenache Blanc. 6/
Viognier flowers and ripens early, and is usually the first varietal harvested in early September. Because Viognier flowers so early in the season, it is susceptible to spring frosts, and frost years like 2009 and 2011 we lost more than half Viognier's expected production. 7/
Viognier is the lead grape in our Cotes de Tablas Blanc, a supporting grape in Patelin de Tablas Blanc, and when we can we choose the freshest, most minerally lots for a small production of varietal Viognier. Our current release is the delicious 2018. tablascreek.com/wines/2018_vio… 8/
So, that's it for Viognier. Let us know what you thought, if you have questions we can answer, and what grape you want us to dive into in next week's #GrapeSpotlight! 9 & END/
