International Viognier Day

The last Friday in April gives wine lovers a golden opportunity to enjoy the lush, perfumed aromas of Viognier.

International Viognier Day started out as a low-key celebration in 2021, but it has grown in popularity with each passing year. It offers fans a chance to enjoy a glass with friends and family, but it’s also a great time to reflect on Viognier’s remarkable comeback from the brink of extinction.

Who created International Viognier Day?

Australian producer Yalumba introduced International Viognier Day in 2021. There wasn’t a specific reason for choosing the last Friday in April, but it’s a pretty quiet time in the calendar.

The last Friday in April is also National Hairball Day in the United States and Día de la Chupina – a day where students play truant – in Argentina, but that’s about it.

Yalumba is famous for planting the first Viognier in South Australia’s Eden Valley back in 1980. At the time, plantings outside France were almost non-existent. Yalumba created International Viognier Day to help wine lovers to discover this aromatic white wine.

Back from the brink

Viognier originated in the northern Rhône Valley in France. It’s the sole grape permitted in the prestigious Condrieu appellation. Viognier has been cultivated in the region since the Roman times, but it had all but disappeared by the 1960s.

Phylloxera, two World Wars and the lure of easier-to-grow alternatives all played their part in pushing Viognier to the brink of extinction. At one point, global plantings had been reduced to less than 15 hectares, almost entirely confined to Condrieu.

Just a small group of dedicated producers – led by Georges Vernay – kept the flame alive. Yet Viognier then began a remarkable resurgence in the 1980s. Pioneering growers in Australia, California and the southern Rhône planted new vines, and today the variety covers more than 16,000 hectares worldwide.

Producers are now making high-quality Viognier in Brazil, California, Canada, Chile, China, Colorado, Greece, India, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa and Virginia, capping the grape’s remarkable recovery.

An aromatic charmer

Viognier often delivers heady aromas of apricot, peach and honeysuckle, with a rich texture that sets it apart from crisper whites. The grape is naturally low in acidity, giving it a rounded, generous mouthfeel.

It’s not easy to make great Viognier – pick the grapes too early and the aromatics fall flat; pick too late and it can become heavy and overblown. However, when it’s done well, Viognier is a beautiful, luscious, elegant wine.

Award-winning wines from DWWA 2025

Brazil

Quinta do Canário, Elegance 2023
Silver, 92 points
Perfumed aromas of violets, peaches and white spices, some toasty undertones. Nicely textured, dense and concentrated. Long finish. Alcohol 13.5%

Canada

Road 13, Select Harvest, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia 2023
Silver, 90 points
Aromatic nose with peach, daisy, chamomile. Varietal palate, rich with phenolics and slick in texture. Lovely acid definition. Alc 12.8%

Chile

Tabali, Pedregoso Gran Reserva, Limarí Valley 2023
Silver, 90 points
Bright stone fruit aromas with touches of floral and coastal nuances. Interesting and enjoyable touch of bitterness, tense texture. Alc 13.5%

China

Chateau Mihope, Helan Mountain East, Ningxia 2022
Silver, 90 points
Aromatic nose, showing notes of roses, grapes, apple skin, white peach, nectarine and bees wax. Soft texture, fresh and flinty. Alc 14%

France

Roland Grangier, Les Combéluz, Condrieu, Rhône 2023
Gold, 96 points
Sublime juicy apricot, yellow peach and candied pear aromas seep over the gorgeous oily texture which is braced by the racy acidity and salty, mineral backbone. Alc 14%

Domaine Verzier, Authentic, Condrieu, Rhône 2024
Gold, 95 points
Labyrinthine flavours of apricot, Mirabelle plum, lychee and mango paste entwine with jasmine and sweet rose florals. Delightfully viscous with a gentle grip of acidity. Textbook. Alc 14%

Domaine de Métifiot, IGP Alpilles, Provence 2023
Silver, 94 points
Elegant nose of subtle peach and apricot, sweet spice, nougat and a hint of ginger on the palate. Alc 13%

Domaine Saint Ferréol, Vin de France, Languedoc-Roussillon 2023
Silver, 94 points
Elegant aromas, very aromatic touches of lychee, golden kiwi, acacia, apricot and yellow apple. Oily texture, with a subtle salinity. Alc 13%

Greece

Domaine Skouras, Eclectique Viognier, Peloponnese 2023
Silver, 93 points
Rich with sweet oak spices, vanilla, popcorn, cream and toast alongside tropical pineapple and mango linger with creamy finish. Alc 13%

India

Sula Vineyards, Dindori Reserve, Nashik, Maharashtra 2024
Silver, 90 points
Floral nose with aromas of peaches, apricot, rose petals, honey and peaches. Inviting on the palate, refreshing and zesty. Alc 13%

Mexico

Casa de Quesada, Indómito, Aguascalientes 2022
Silver, 90 points
Musky nose of apricot and peach, then to a palate of musky rose, plush stone fruit and a lifted acidity.
Alc 13.4%

New Zealand

Brave Roots, Marlborough 2024
Silver, 90 points
Elderflower, apricot and guava aromatics give way to an elegant, juicy, textured palate. A well-made, fresh style. Alc 14%

Portugal

Adega de Borba, Senses, Alentejano 2024
Silver, 91 points
Pretty nose of honeysuckle, orange blossom and white pepper spice, then to a silky palate of apricot kernel and spice. Alc 12.5%

South Africa

Babylonstoren, Viognier, Simonsberg-Paarl, Paarl 2024
Silver, 92 points
Honeysuckle and white blossom perfume meld with nectarine, mandarin and dried apple rings, lifted by lemony acidity and rounded lees texture. Alc 14%

United States

Holy Cross Abbey, Colorado 2023
Silver, 90 points
Pretty nose of violet and orange blossom; pear, stone fruit and a touch of spice on the palate. Alc 14%

See all DWWA 2025 award-winning Viognier wines

Related articles