Yalumba pioneered the viticulture and vinification of Viognier in Australia, sowing their first commercial Viognier plantings in the cooler, elevated aspects of Valley Eden. Sourced from a number of vineyards, the criteria for selection is a good measure of all the classic Viognier flavours and aromas, white flower and apricot perfumes, balanced by freshness and zest. A flavoursome fruit driven Viognier of stylishness and flair, aromatic fruit characters are supported by creamy mid palate richness and silky textural finish.

Many of Yalumba's most dedicated growers have been converting to organic viticulture for years, their hard work yields a quality of fruit with intense varietal characters. Choice parcels of Viognier are grown to environmentally sustainable techniques, fermented through indigenous yeast and little human intervention by the highly accomplished Yalumba team. All grapes selected are from sites which have been certified by the Soil Association of the UK and NASAA Australia as approved organic producers.

Back in 1980 when the Viognier grape was all but extinct, Yalumba began a journey which has made them the most influential producer of Viognier in the world. Yalumba began their love affair with this exotic Rhone varietal when they realized that the slightly elevated slopes of Eden Valley were ideal for aromatic whites. The site was to become Australia's first significant Viognier vineyard. After many vintages, Yalumba have determined that the best results are achieved when they intervene as little as possible in the fermentation and the ageing.

Boodjidup Vineyard Viognier, the old growers trick of slicing a cane of bunches off the vine and setting the whole branch aside to dry and shrivel as the berries become engorged with flavour. The deliciously desiccated grapes are crushed and cold soaked to rehydrate the raisined fruit, pressed and sent for a month of vinification at a cool 15°C. Ferments are arrested to retain all the moreish sweetness and extraordinary complexity of cane cut Viognier. Apricot nectars, mango and lychee, her mouth watering lemon honey drop juicyness persists through to a wickedly flavourful finish.

Is it any wonder that this wine has slipped into McLaren Vale vernacular as Scrubby White? While the satiatingly mouthfilling mix of grapes may twist tongues, it also offers a rich array of fruit flavours, lead by a whoosh of refitalizing Adelaide Hills fruit, to inspire the most apathetic palate. Crisp, tantalizingly complex and delightfully fresh, Wirra Wirra complete the puzzle and give you something to ponder over a glass of judiciously chilled white, while you wrestle with the words Scrubby, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.

Rhône Valley grapes seem to flourish in the Barossa, enthused by sunny Mediterranean climes and stimulated by the cooling breezes off Gulf St Vincent. Torbreck retain access to the finest parcels of white Rhône varietals in the entire Valley. Woodcutter is fashioned to be dominated by a larger component of Roussanne, which provides the structure and length, Marsanne adds complexity, texture and palate richness. Viognier contributes pure, floral lift, finishing the wine with a measure of refinement and mark of elegance.

David Powell planted Viognier in 1994, with a view to emulating the great growths of Condrieu. Powell is enamoured of the beguiling Viognier, an essential component of his Shiraz flagships, it offers remarkable eloquence and great distinction when grown and crafted without compromise into a pure varietal wine. Only ever made in the finest vintage years and immediately recognizable as an exceptional wine, the white of choice to accompany Sauce au beurre blanc sur les poissons ou quenelles, garnitures à la financière ou quelque chose au pâte feuilletée.

Inspired by the lusciously rich, mineral scented dry whites of La Vallée Rhône, Torbreck have assembled the essential cépage of Marsanne, Viognier and Roussanne, sourced entirely from the distinguished Descendant Vineyard at Roennfeldt Road in Marananga. Five rows each of superior vine, set aside every year for the construct of full bodied whites to rival the classics of the old world. A seamless experience in silken texture, to accompany anything seafood, west coast marron or moreton bay bug, brewed mussels or deftly prepared abalone.

The reputation of Jacob's Creek has been built around wines that are fruit-driven and elegant. Three Vines takes that a step further and ameliorates the fruity flavours of Australian wine with the savoury flavours of Southern Europe. Semillon offers crisp citrus and stoney flavours, combined with the lively tropical fruit of Sauvignon Blanc and the richness of Viognier, it delivers an easy drinking, fresh and fruity wine you will enjoy.

In South Australia, the best sites for growing wine grapes were originally sold off in eighty acre lots. Bill Taylor planted his first eighty acres of vine to some of the best Terra rossa soils within the Clare Valley circa 1969, naming his original block the Eighty Acres.

The Valleys Yarra and Cotes du Rhone share a kinship in the realization of fleshy and invigorationg white wines styles. TarraWarra assemble parcels from two splendid rows each of the Rhonesque Rousanne, Viognier and Marsanne, harvested off a balmy north facing vineyard which enjoys excellent exposure to the afternoon sun. Vinified in the old world way and fashioned for optimal balance, structure and length, an exquisitely perfumed accord, characterised by the juicyness of honeysuckle, nettles and crisp mineral, made to match alongside white meat casseroles, mushrooms or fresh fried gujons.

The stately wineworks, beautiful gardens and scenic finger lakes of Tahbilk, would not look out of place amongst the great vineyards of the old world. Bundles of Viognier cuttings from the distinguished Rhone Valley appellation of Condrieu, were amongst the first vines established at Tahbilk in the 1860s. They continue to outperform, yielding an absorbing white wine with an exquisite mix of nutty, mineral characters, the accompaniement of choice, to match all mussel and shellfish recipes, succulent baked pork with apple dressing or artisanal white meat terrines.

There's something very old world about the imposing wineworks and ancient cellars of Tahbilk. It should be no surprise that the indigenous Rhone Valley white varietals, planted by Tahbilk's founders, have performed so well within the temperate climes of Goulburn and Nagambie. An exciting cépage of Roussanne, Marsanne and Viognier, in true Cotes du Rhône styling, seamlessly assembled into a beautiful drink of charming perfumes and dulcet flavours.

The merry widow? Ned Kelly and his gang laid siege to the Glenrowan Inn, a small hotel thirty minutes northwest of the King Valley, which was run by Widow Ann Jones. The gang held over sixty people hostage in the hotel. The Widow Jones threw a wonderful party for the bushrangers and their captives. A great night was had by all in what turned out to be Ned's last stand.

A simply delicious wine, big and powerful yet all delicacy too, aromas of pineapples and sherbet-like confection impeccably backed by the florid qualities of the topical and spicey Viognier.

Half Marsanne, the balance of Rousanne and Viognier, sourced exclusively from the Mitchelton estate vineyard. Airstrip is a lively but tight blend of vigorous white fruit. Modest crop levels ranging from 2 to 3½ tonnes per acre give this wine its core intensity. Each individual block is managed and vinified separately to allow the different qualities of each variety, shaped by the unique vineyard site and soil profiles, to shine through. The individual parcels of fruit are moulded together during blending to produce the unique Airstrip style.

Behind every great winemaker is a great winemaker's wife. Robert recounts how he finally gave in to Mrs Duval's pleas and created his first white wine. An artisan may spend decades refining his skills but a woman's intuition rules. Duval's Rhone styled cepage of Marsanne, Rousanne and Viognier has been a runaway success. Duval's aim with Plexus MRV is to promote a vibrant expression of fruit aromas from the interaction of the three varieties, to build structure and texture on the palate, rather than the blend's familiar acid crispness.

Heggies have broken much ground with Viognier. A sumptuous wine full of delightful fragrances and exemplary balance between influences of terroir and good varietal fruit. A wine of full flavour and body with excellent length, perfect for accompanying a wide range of foods, especially grills and Asian cuisines.

Predominately from the Zerk Vineyard, owned and operated by a fourth generation Barossa grower who knows his Semillon very well. As the vines are over seventy years old, they produce grapes with great depth, flavour and complexity. The Viognier is sourced from the cooler climate of the Adelaide Hills, to blocks that are ideally suited to this uniquely aromatic varietal.

Like its Rhone Valley siblings, Adelaide Hills Viognier is a wine that drinks well on release, evolving as it grows in complexity. Named after a site which lies at the bottom of a gully in McLaren Vale, the Last Ditch was originally planted to a small block of Doradillo vines during the 19th century. In 1995 the site became repopulated by Viognier. Last Ditch is a highly auspicious wine which receives the very best barrels of d'Arenberg Viognier, it simply blossoms on the palate and continues to linger.

The close proximity of d'Arenberg's vineyards to Gulf St. Vincent means the grapes can be stimulated by gently cooling maritime breezes. Much of McLaren Vale is planted to free draining soils underlaid by limestone, formed by the calcareous remains of local marine fauna. One such creature was the Hermit Crab, a reclusive little crustacean that to this day inhabits the cast off shells of others. McLaren Vale's first ever Marsanne Viognier is named Hermit as a reference to the region in France where the Marsanne grape dominates white wines.

Fashioned from harvests of Viognier grown to the cooler, slower ripening Forest Hut property at Moonambel. The climes are three to four degrees cooler than the Dalwhinnie estate vineyard all year round, so vintage arrives some three weeks later. Vines make the most of the extra time on offer, to ripen grapes fully and develop vibrant fruit characters, translating into a solid Viognier wine with stunning grilled nut perfumes and juicy apple orchard complexity.

It has been a remarkable journey for Clonakilla. When John Kirk first planted vines in 1971 he had no idea that his vineyard would be celebrated as one of the finest in Australia. Along the way there have been trials and tribulations as well as moments of unprecendented success. Over time it has become clear that a combination of the temperate Murrumbateman region and the sultry Viognier are one of those rare synergies which produce extraordinary wines.

Bedecked with gold medals, significant trophies and countless five star commendations. Clonakilla is a wine that's ultimately determined in the vineyard, where hard work is required to open up the vine leaf canopies, limiting yields and encouraging vines to make grapes with riper flavour profiles. The vinification process embraces old world techiques such as the inclusion of whole bunches in the ferments, macerations and extravagant French oak barrel maturation.