Wine Review: Viognier - Telegraph Anyone who professes a love for full-bodied, rich, white wines must get pretty bored with chardonnay. But what else is there - alongside the crisper, lighter sauvignons, pinot grigios and rieslings - that tastes ripe, juicy and packed with sunny fruit flavours? The answer is viognier. Indeed, there are a few who prefer viognier to chardonnay, possibly because it doesn't tend to be as heavily oaked. Instead, it majors on scented, juicy apricot and peach, with wafts of honeysuckle, lily and white blossom, a weighty texture and low-acid, dry finish. There are undoubtedly some duds around, dilute versions that lack the distinctive perfume and fruit. Because it has naturally low acid, poor examples can taste bland and flabby, lacking in definition. Not so the finest viogniers of France, the top wines of the Condrieu region and Château-Grillet in the Rhône. Seek out these rare and very expensive gems from specialist merchants, such as Yapp Bros (yapp.co.uk, 01747 860423). More affordable viognier comes from the Languedoc in the deep south of France, or the New World, which has embraced this grape's sunny, fruit-driven style. The French wines are somewhat lighter, fresh-tasting; the New World ones more opulent, tending towards yellow plum and butterscotch. Drink the former with white fish and chicken in buttery, white-wine sauces or trout with toasted almonds, and the latter with creamy, mild Indian kormas, or, best of all, a fruity chicken tajine. Laurent Miquel Vendanges Nocturnes 2011, Sud de France (Waitrose, £8.06) Hugely juicy, exuberantly scented white with plump apricot fruit and a full texture. Classic southern French viognier. St Gabriel Vineyard 2009/11, Jean-Claude Mas, Vin de Pays d'Oc, France (Co-op, £8.49) Mellow, lightly perfumed with peach and tangerine, and dry on the finish. One for buttery chicken dishes. Alamos 2011, Mendoza, Argentina (Majestic, £8.99, or two for £6.49 each until 29 October) This South American version has a spicy note of fresh ginger, over rich yellow plums and squashy dried apricots. Exotic, rich and great with mild creamy curries. TIPPLE TIP don't over-chill... 'Don't chill full-flavoured whites like oaky chardonnays and viogniers nearly as hard as you would a lighter, more high-acid wine. It doesn't suit their bigger, softer style and you might mute their gorgeous aromas. One hour in the fridge before serving is quite enough