Lo & Behold Chenin Viognier
£12.99
£17.32 per litre · incl. 20% VAT
In Stock — 3 bottles available
Sunshine in a glass. This Swartland white blends Chenin Blanc with a splash of Viognier for something genuinely moreish, ripe pear, white peach, a curl of citrus and a tropical lift on the finish. Fresh enough for a weeknight, characterful enough for company. A brilliant introduction to what the Cape does best with whites.
Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.
UK wide delivery
Our Verdict
We listed this one because it does something we genuinely admire: it overdelivers, quietly. The Viognier lifts the whole blend without dominating it, and the Swartland fruit gives it a depth you rarely find at this price. It's the kind of bottle we reach for on a Tuesday when we want something interesting but uncomplicated, and it's the wine we recommend to customers who've enjoyed an unoaked Chenin and want to take one small step further. Honest, fragrant, and quietly excellent.
Tasting Notes
A bright, fragrant white that puts ripe orchard and stone fruit centre stage. The nose lifts with peach, ripe pear and a twist of citrus zest, threaded with the faint honeysuckle perfume Viognier brings to the party. The palate is generous but never heavy, juicy pear and apricot up front, a flash of tropical pineapple in the middle, then a clean, citrus-edged finish that keeps things refreshing rather than rich.
Ripe Orchard Fruit
Juicy pear and peach lead the charge, giving the wine its plush, immediately appealing core without tipping into heaviness.
Citrus Lift
Zesty lemon and grapefruit run through the palate, sharpening the fruit and keeping every sip feeling fresh and lively.
Viognier Perfume
A floral lift of honeysuckle and apricot blossom, the unmistakable Viognier signature, gives the nose real aromatic charm.
About This Wine
Here's a wine that punches well above its price tag. Lo & Behold takes two grapes that were practically made for each other, South Africa's beloved Chenin Blanc and the perfumed, peachy Viognier, and lets each one do what it does best. The result is a white that's vibrant and fresh, but with enough texture and ripe fruit to keep you coming back for another glass.
In the glass, expect a generous nose of white peach, ripe pear and orchard blossom, with citrus zest cutting through and a whisper of tropical fruit underneath. The palate is supple and rounded, finishing clean and bright. Most of the Chenin ferments naturally in stainless steel to preserve that nervy freshness, with a small portion seeing time in older French oak barrels for a touch of breadth. The Viognier ferments separately in cement tanks, then everything is blended just before bottling, keeping the aromatics lifted and the fruit unforced.
The grapes come from undulating Swartland vineyards, where Mediterranean summers and cool nights coax slow, even ripening from old bush vines. It's a region punching well above its weight, and this wine is proof.
Gorgeous with roast chicken and herby salads, pork belly, or a fragrant Thai green curry. Equally happy on its own in the garden when the British sun finally shows up. Delivered to your door anywhere in the UK, and a lovely, low-risk gift for a friend who's curious about Cape whites but doesn't know where to start.
Food Pairing
This is a versatile midweek hero. The aromatic lift handles spice beautifully, try it with a Thai green chicken curry or a Vietnamese summer roll. Equally happy with simpler fare: roast chicken with lemon and tarragon, a herby pork loin, or a goat's cheese and pear salad. For meat-free meals, it sings alongside a Thai-style vegetable stir-fry or aubergine and chickpea curry.
- —Thai green chicken curry with jasmine rice
- —Roast chicken with lemon, garlic and tarragon
- —Goat's cheese, pear and walnut salad
- —Pork loin with apple and sage
- —Aubergine and chickpea curry
How to Serve
Temperature
Properly chilled at 8–10°C. An hour in the fridge, or twenty minutes in an ice bucket, will get you there.
Decanting
No decanting needed. This is a fresh, aromatic blend designed for immediate enjoyment, pour it straight from a chilled bottle and let the perfumed nose do its work in the glass.
Glass
A medium-bowled white wine glass concentrates the floral Viognier lift and stone fruit aromatics without losing the freshness.
Behind the Wine
Swartland sits under a Mediterranean sky, hot, dry summer days that build ripeness, cool nights that lock in aromatics, and mild wet winters that recharge the soils. The vines push their roots deep into sandstone, slowing the ripening clock just enough to draw out citrus lift and tropical generosity in equal measure. That patient, unhurried ripening is what gives this blend its dual personality: ripe stone fruit at the core, fresh acidity holding everything in shape.
Ageing Potential
Built for early enjoyment rather than the cellar. Drink within two to three years of the vintage to catch the aromatic fruit at its most expressive, the Viognier perfume and citrus snap are the whole point, and they'll fade if you leave the bottle sitting around.
The Land
The fruit comes from undulating Swartland vineyards rooted in sandstone soils, well-drained, low-vigour ground that forces the vines to work for their living. Combined with the warm days and cool nights of the Atlantic-influenced Cape, those soils give the grapes the slow, even ripening that builds both flavour concentration and natural freshness.
The Winemaking
The Chenin Blanc and Viognier go their separate ways before reuniting in the bottle. The bulk of the Chenin ferments naturally in stainless steel to keep the fruit pure and bright, while a small portion rests in old French oak 300-litre barrels, just enough to add a whisper of texture without any obvious wood. The Viognier, meanwhile, ferments in cement tanks, which preserves its perfumed lift while softening the edges. Blended just before bottling, the parts come together as a single, harmonious whole.
About the Producer
Lo & Behold
Tucked into the Citrusdal Mountains, around fifty kilometres north of Swartland proper, the Piekenierskloof plateau takes its name from the Dutch soldiers, the Piekeniers, once dispatched from the Cape to map the wild Olifants River country. These days the area is famous for citrus, but for wine lovers it's something else entirely: Grenache HQ, home to one of the largest plantings of the grape in the Cape, including ungrafted bush vines dating back to the 1950s. Under winemaker Hendrien Vercueil, Piekenierskloof Wine Company has built a quiet reputation for Rhône-style wines that taste of exactly where they're from.