Viognier is a white grape that some presume to be an ancient grape. The origins of this varietal are unknown but some speculate the Romans brought this grape to Rhone. The name is also shadowed in mystery and some say it refers to the city of Vienne, France. This grape is rare and is grown in the northern region of France. There was a time in the 1960’s where the grape varietal almost became extinct. Since then, the varietal has been planted around the world. Australia, California, New Zealand, Greece and South Africa have had some success growing this varietal. The DNA test conducted in 2004 showed that Viognier is a close relative to Freisa from the Piedmont region. Viognier is very difficult to grow because it is an unpredictable grape and should only be picked when fully ripe. This grape, if picked too early, doesn’t fully develop the aromas and if picked too late is oily, so these grapes must be picked at just the right time. This difficulty in the characteristics make it have unpredictable yields, so many producers became weary to grow this grape. Well known for the floral aromas similar to those found in Riesling and Muscat, this wine is meant to be consumed young because it loses its perfume as it ages. Viognier is a great wine to pair with spicy foods like Thai and Mexican cuisine.