Viognier

Today considered one of the most appreciated whites in the world, viognier has actually experienced ups and downs. It has been talked about since the first centuries after Christ, but after phylloxera had almost disappeared, so much so that in France, in the district of Condrieu (upper Rhone, towards Lyon), only a few rows of it survived. According to recent genetic studies, it is related to Italian red grapes such as nebbiolo and freisa. It gives wines of quality and irrepressible structure, with marked fruity notes and toasted hints with evolution, even if in general it is not particularly preservable. It is still vinified in the upper Rhone, in Condrieu, but its fairly readable and transversal qualities have decreed its international success: it is found in California, Spain, Greece, Switzerland, Austria and Italy; here it is used in various regions, especially the central ones, from Tuscany to Umbria and Lazio, both in blends and as a single variety.