Rideau Vineyard’s Ninth Annual Viognier Festival Draws Record Crowd

Rideau Vineyard is quickly becoming one of my happy places. Every time I’ve visited, I get hit with a wave of calm, reinforced by the staff’s friendliness and the incredibly tasty wine and food. When I visited on September 26 for a much livelier occasion — the vineyard’s ninth annual Viognier Festival — I found that the estate’s tranquility holds up, even with a party atmosphere.

Of all the wine festivals I’ve been to, I’ve never been to one that featured only one varietal, but Rideau’s viognier, their signature, is well worth the spotlight. A lesser-known grape that almost went extinct in France in the 1960s, viognier isn’t as much of a staple of Central Coast wine as pinot noir or chardonnay, but this gorgeous grape pairs just as beautifully with a summer day as anything else you’ll find in our wine country.

As I approached the party with my friend Leila, who loves spending time at Rideau as much as I do, we were immediately struck by the sheer number of people — so many groups of friends, families with children, and faithful canine companions all enjoying the day. As Estate Manager Steve Russell proudly told me later, the festival began with 75 attendees the first year, but this year was the biggest yet, with 225 tickets sold. The festival, started by the winery’s current owner, Martin Gauthier, in 2016, began as a way to showcase Rideau’s specialty varietal as well as introduce people to this lesser-known gem.

Each guest received a raffle ticket, a commemorative wineglass, and a booklet about the day’s wines, viognier, and its history. Viognier has been around so long that its exact origins have been lost to time, with one theory being that the Romans brought it from Croatia to the region that is now the Rhône Valley. Today, in the Santa Ynez Valley, Rideau Vineyard grows its viognier grapes on its original estate property, producing it in a few different ways to bring out its incredible qualities.

The first method, exemplified by the first and second wines — the 2024 and 2023 Stainless-Steel Estate Viognier — involves aging the wine in stainless-steel vats rather than the more traditional French oak barrels. This more neutral method allows the wine to retain its natural tastes and notes, which to me had an incredible hint of citrus and the refreshing mineral notes from the ancient riverbed that used to run through the estate. Compared to French oak, the stainless-steel method gives the wine an irresistibly crisp taste that, when chilled, contrasts beautifully with the heat of an S.Y.V. summer.

The next two wines in the lineup, the 2016 and 2023 Estate Viognier, were aged for 10 months in French oak, which, unlike the stainless steel, contributes depth to the wine without adding flavor. The best way I can describe the difference is that the stainless-steel viognier has a crisper quality and the French oak has a creamier, rounder taste. Both are stunning, so it depends on your personal preference, and comparing them makes for a very interesting tasting experience. Between the two editions of the French oak estate viognier, their vastly different ages make a world of difference: The 2016 edition boasts a gorgeous golden color and irresistible sweetness, while the 2023 holds its own with a wonderfully juicy nose and a lighter palate that still sacrifices no flavor.

The fifth wine, the 2023 Reserve Estate Viognier, adds something extra with 24 hours of skin contact on the grapes before aging in neutral oak for 11 months, a process that gives the wine an extra-rich quality and density without feeling heavy on the tongue, also thanks to the mineral quality that I particularly noticed in this beauty.

The final wine, however impressive it may have been on its own, definitely had the most fun presentation. The 2017 Late Harvest Estate Viognier, which was allowed to ripen further on the vine before harvest and aged in stainless steel, keeps a sugary quality that makes it perfect for another Rideau specialty: the Vio Piña Lada. A mixture of Late Harvest Estate Viognier, blended pineapple, and ice, this tasty concoction is not only a fun way to show off the last wine — pineapple is a great pairing with viognier — but a wonderfully refreshing treat on such a hot day.

The wines alone are well worth attending for, but did I mention the food? Rideau never misses with their everyday offerings, but for the Viognier Festival, they pull out all the stops for one of viognier’s best pairings: all-you-can-eat oysters. To ensure their freshness, Estate Manager Steve Russell told me that he had picked them up himself — 3,000 oysters from Grassy Bar Oyster Co. — only the night before.

In addition to the oysters and their array of sauces, an annual Viognier Festival tradition, fresh ceviche was also served, as well as Rideau’s usual menu. On my last visit, Chef Matthieu Hervouet recommended the new-to-the-menu vegan smash burger, and this time, I was absolutely starving and couldn’t wait to try it. A plant-based patty sits on a brioche bun with caramelized onions, mushrooms, and hamburger sauce, paired with a mixed-greens salad and potato chips for a wonderful summer picnic vibe. The burger was savory and perfectly filling without being too heavy, and the lemon vinaigrette on the salad made for a light and tangy contrast.

While the wines and food were of course the standouts of the event, Rideau’s hospitality really shines in details such as making cold water bottles and sunscreen readily available to guests and placing paper hand fans on the tables, as well as bringing in a band such as Derek and the Tallboys, from Pasadena, to set the vibe with their lively music. They kept the mood playful with a classic-rock-sounding cover of Britney Spears’s “…Baby One More Time,” and, “for the kids and the kids at heart,” a lively rendition of “The Bare Necessities” from Disney’s classic The Jungle Book, which had me and Leila grinning and cheering from across the lawn.

Despite the heat and the challenge of accommodating the most guests they’ve ever had, Rideau’s ninth annual Viognier Festival was a success. Picnic tables and lawns were full of adults sipping wine, kids frolicking, and dogs napping. Viognier might be difficult to grow and tricky to pair, but it’s safe to say that Rideau knows exactly what they’re doing when it comes to bringing out all the amazing qualities this grape has to offer — and throwing the party to celebrate them.

Rideau Vineyard is located at 1562 Alamo Pintado Rd., Solvang. For more information, see rideauvineyard.com.