Viognier - August 2013

Viognier

Vee-ohn-yea

Or, as I like to pronounce it "YUM-MEE"

Viognier is one of those often overlooked and certainly under-appreciated varietals, at least state side and for the time being.  It almost went away completely in France in the 1960s (less than 8 hectares) and didn't really start to come back until the 1990s.

So, what is it?

Viognier is most commonly described as "Chardonnay's exotic older sister."

WOW!

The back of one of the bottles currently chilling for tonight's tasting says that "..it represents the growing alliance against the tyranny of Chardonnay."  And yes, that is part of the reason I picked that particular bottle.  Yea to choices!

Despite the fact that there are 24 really common varietals (and that is out of over 100 varietals globally), people seem to cleave to their Chardonnay and Merlot like a childhood security blanket.  Granted, there might be the occasional Malbec or Sauvignon Blanc thrown in, but haven't we come so much further than that?

Let's work on expanding those wine purchases!  Try something different!  Be bold, be daring!

Why Viognier?

Because it is different depending upon where it is grown - very different!  Because there are more acres of Viognier in the US than in France.  Because it is a white that is so super food friendly yet can hold its own just being sipped from a glass by itself.  Because I really wasn't going to waste a month of wine club on spritzers (did I really say I might do spritzers?!).

The facts:

 (Great) Viognier from France comes from Condrieu (kohn-dree-yuh) in the Northern Rhone.  Only about 250 acres of Viognier are planted there.  It is rare and expensive not just because of the limited planting but because the grapes are so sensitive to their environment.  Usually less than 30,000 cases per year.

(Good) Viognier from France comes in the form of white Vin de Pays d'Oc from the Languedoc-Roussilon region.  This is a lighter style of Viognier and also a more affordable style.

Viognier from the US is a nationwide affair.  Up and down the east and west coast and a few states in between, you can find lots and lots of acreage dedicated to this lovely grape.  California leads the charge with the most acreage in the world of Viognier.  Washington State is in the game with their version as is Virginia, which has taken some medals for their Viognier.  The newcomer to the game, Texas, beat out all of them in a recent blind tasting (including Condrieu!)

Australia is in the game too.  The leader down under is Yalumba Estate.  They have over 70% of the country's planting of Viognier.  These wines are a little more temperamental and definitely higher in alcohol (13%+).

The rest of the wine producing world is sitting up and taking notice.  New Zealand, South Africa, Chile and more, have all started the plantings of Viognier.  This is one varietal that is poised to claim its right to shelf space in every wine shop in the world!

What to expect:

honeysuckle and fruit on the nose

some expect the wine to be sweet because of the floral and fruit aromas, but don't ignore the spice

This is a DRY wine

This loves food - especially spicy foods

Served chilled

Drink young (called "the most expensive early drinking wine in the world")

What are we tasting?

The line up!

BUY

The White Knight - California, Napa Valley, Viognier - $13.99 at Arrowine & Cheese
We started with this one as I expected it to be the lightest.  This was a nice, very nice, Viognier.  Went well with all the food and was balanced enough to drink alone.


SKIP

Roots - Washington State Viognier - $19.99 at Arrowine & Cheese
Yuck!  I mean, YUCK!  100% of us poured this wine out!  Okay, maybe one person didn't but that because she hates to see any wine that isn't vinegar go down the drain :-)  This one smelled stronger than the Cali, but the taste was wrong.  It caught you in your tonsils and not in a good way.  It was sharp and cleaved to the palette.  Food did help round it out, but not enough to make it worth drinking.


MAYBE

Yalumba Viognier Y Series - Australia - $11.99 at Wegmans
This was not bad.  It does need food though because there is a sharpness to this wine that only Aussie soil can impart.  If I were looking for a bottle to have with a spicy meal, I would definitely consider this.  However, The White Knight is better.


INVITE ME TO SHARE!!!!!!

Francios Villard Condrieu - France - $59.99 at Arrowine & Cheese (a big thanks to Doug for helping me out!)
OMG!  "Perfection"  That was the word used to describe this wine.  Only one person didn't adore this wine.  ADORE!  This is, quite possibly, the best white wine I have ever had the pleasure of tasting.  This came as a huge surprise to all of us because we usually can't stand the most expensive bottles we taste.  If you are looking for the perfect bottle as a gift or for, say, Thanksgiving dinner, this is it!  Though I wouldn't wait for dinner to drink it - bring it cold and win the hearts of your hostess & host!  This bottle is truly worth every single penny!

Maybe?

One of our members brought this Bull Run Winery Viognier.  It might have fared better at our table if we were comparing only Virginia Viognier, but we had already had the Condrieu and nothing could stand up to perfection.  Sorry!


We had fried chicken (yep, fried chicken!), spicy thai shrimp, havarti, manchego, 5 year aged gouda, 28 month aged white cheddar, & camembert.

Cheers,

Kitti