Viognier is an overlooked wine. I think part of the reason is because people have difficulty pronouncing the word and they don’t want to sounds stupid. This wine is worth sounding stupid for and do not worry – in this week’s episode we say Viognier about 100 times so by the end you’ll be an expert.
In this week’s episode we explore this revived Rhône variety:
- History (or lack of) of Viognier
- How it grows and where it grows
- Winemaking techniques
- Styles and Flavor characteristics
- Food pairings
White Hawk Vineyard in the Los Alamos Hills where Viognier is grown for Nagy Wines. Copyright 2014 by Jeremy Ball of Bottle Branding
Wine Recommendations:
Cline 2015 North Coast Viognier – priced around $11. This wine has aromas of pear, pineapple and peach. It’s dry with medium acidity and medium body. It has lots of tropical, stonefruit and citrus notes with a touch of floral on the finish. The winemaker says to pair with Gruyere or Camembert cheese, sushi, or tarragon chicken.
M2 Viognier – Fair Play 2015 – priced around $18. This wine has a light aroma of minerals, pear, and apple. It smells sweet and fruity but it’s a dry wine with medium plus acidity. It has a medium body with a creamy mouthfeel and flavors of citrus, lemon, melon and floral notes. We thought this wine tasted very French with a punch of acidity. It’s very refined.
Nagy 2013 Viognier White Hawk Vineyard – priced around $24. This wine was a free sample but worth paying for. This wine smells like stone fruit (Apricot) and wet gravel. It’s dry with medium acidity and flavors of stone fruit, lemon oil, honey suckle and a touch of salinity. This wine has weight to it and was fuller bodied than the previous two wines. It’s distinctly California because of its fruitiness but with a nod to its French roots with the floral notes. A beautiful balance between fruit and floral and the body and weight of this wine makes a good wine to have in cooler weather.
Sources:
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