Wine-lovers the world over raise their glasses to one of the most seductive white grape varieties in existence every last Friday of April. They do so on International Viognier Day, which falls on the 24th of April this year – a splendid occasion to meet, or rather meet again, a variety that rewards the curiosity of the connoisseur with something approaching genuine enchantment.
Viognier is not amongst the quieter sorts. Far from timid, it will not shy away from announcing itself at once. Bring the glass to your lips and you are swept up in a wave of stony fruit, white blossoms and something honeyed, all amounting to a fusion so heady one could imagine one is drinking the finest of perfumes and not wine. This sort hails from the Northern Rhône Valley where it flourishes in the tiny appellations of Condrieu and Château-Grillet. For centuries it was scarcely found elsewhere, and by the 1960s war and neglect had reduced its vineyards to a mere handful of hectares. Then came a slow and quiet revival, one which was unhurried whilst confident. The fearless producers in France, Australia and California had by the 1980s rediscovered Viognier, and it has been making up for lost time ever since.
What sets it apart from the other white varieties is its character on the palate: full-bodied, with a naturally low acidity and a rich, almost unctuous texture, not heavy but generous. It is a sort that thrives in warmth, which is precisely why it has found such a welcoming home in the sun-drenched corners of the New World. It is, moreover, surprisingly versatile. Viognier – and we defer to those who know what’s what as we say this – makes a fine aperitif and sits equally well alongside rich seafood, foie gras, creamy risotto and roast chicken. It would perhaps be simpler to list the things it does not suit.
And now, for the South Caucasus and what the wine world is beginning to regard with growing interest: that Azerbaijan grows Viognier and does so well.
SAVALAN Viognier, produced by SAVALAN-ASPI Winery in Gabala at the Caucasian foothills where day and night are parted by a striking shift in temperature, has mastered the language of this sort and speaks it proficiently. Pale straw in colour, carrying in it a golden gleam, it opens confidently and generously with its signature bouquet of ripe pear, wildflowers and fragrant honey. The wine remains fresh without sacrificing the sort’s natural roundness. The result is a dry white that is clean, lively and pleasingly long on the finish. Serve it at 10–12°C to go with langoustine or a mushroom risotto and it will hold its own exactly as Viognier should: with generosity and without fuss. The SAVALAN-ASPI Winery wines have not gone unnoticed, as a Grand Prix at the International Wine Festival in Ganja, a silver medal at Mundus Vini in Düsseldorf and a bronze at the Decanter World Wine Awards in London will attest. An impressive record, one might say, for a producer that the Western wine community are only now beginning to discover, though it must be said it is being a swift discovery.
There is something quietly poignant about the fate of a variety that came so close to utter extinction yet survived on the steep hillsides of southern France at a time when the world had little thought to spare for it. Viognier endured, set out on its travels and flourishes in vineyards stretching from the Rhône to the Caucasus today. To raise a glass on its day is to become a willing participant in a small act of rescue and resurrection.
Raise your glasses, then, ladies and gentlemen. To Viognier!
Authors of the SAVALAN Blog:
Fuad Seyidaliyev and Arif Rahimov
Founders and Co-owners of SAVALAN-ASPI Winery