This is the story of a bottle of Condrieu that a dear friend Dan Stromberg brought to their mutual birthday celebration while both were attending viticulture/enology school. At wine school, that sort of thing counts as studying, and they were both very diligent students. Beyond the name on the bottle, he knew nothing about Condrieu- never heard even of it. A year later John was living in that tiny village- the homestead of Viognier, helping with harvest. While it all happened pretty fast, it wasn’t as easy as it sounds.
As the recipient of a French wine studies scholarship, he had the opportunity to go just about anywhere he wished- so long as he worked for free, and didn’t complain (perfect criteria for anyone wishing to start their own winery). Everything was going great until John asked for a ‘post’ in Condrieu. Nobody in Condrieu ‘wanted’ him. Not even for free! The short version is that the region had been in decline for decades and was just beginning to get back on its feet. The handful of growers who remained in the appellation were xenophobic; afraid that he would plant a bunch of Viognier back home and overburden the market. These folks were simply, and understandably scared. They had worked for decades hoping their appellation could re-emerge while teetering on the edge of extinction. While John could empathize, he was feeling a bit of youthful frustration. He argued that it was really in their best interests to help him. Just about no one in the U.S. had heard of Condrieu. The only way to tell the story of Viognier is to tell the story of Condrieu. If his wine caught folks’ attention, the next wine they would try would likely be from Condrieu. This plea resonated for one grower, who upon promise of anonymity, agreed to let him work at his place.
John’s assertion that sharing information and showcasing Viognier, along with other Rhone varieties, would be beneficial to us all wasn’t just the voice of desperation. This sentiment was, and is, in his soul and prompted him to co-found and promote Hospice du Rhone. In 2005, about 20 years after he pled his way into a job in Condrieu, the producers of that appellation and its neighbor- Cote Rotie, honored him as a Decurion. A sort of citizen for life in recognition of the attention and acclaim he helped bring to the region. It was one of the most humbling and unanticipated moments of John’s life.
A Central Coast bottling that is hand harvested at night all from their estate vineyard (they just call it ‘central coast’; but it’s 100% estate): fermented 85% in concrete, 10% neutral barrels, and 5% terracota. 300 cases bottled in May of 2025. It showcases the forward heady stone fruit of this variety.
Over the last three plus decades, the idea that white wine can successfully be something other than chardonnay has become a wonderful reality. In the 80’s there were fewer than 30 acres of Condrieu under vine: today the entire appellation is planted- in excess of 400 acres. California went from a handful of test blocks to more than 3000 acres of Viognier: globally there are over 40,000 acres. They feel truly humbled reading the wonderful role the wine world attributes to Alban Vineyards for this amazing transformation. But it may be their unique way of farming and thinking about viticulture that proves to be their sweetest legacy. We shall see…