A Lakewood Ranch wine tasting experience can really broaden your horizon. For instance, I’ve always been of the opinion that if the white wine, named Viognier (pronounced vee-ahn-yay) had a simple to pronounce name it would be ever so much more popular.
For some reason we Americans seem to verbally fumble the ball on words that contain a silent “g”. For instance we can get the Cabernet part – but boy the Sauvignon part causes some real problems (although we seem to have no problem with the word Champagne – hmmm).
At any rate the name of Viognier seems to give us pause. Which is too bad because it is truly a wonderful varietal that is perfectly suited to summer time enjoyment.
The grape originates from the Northern Rhône area but it is al where it goes under the names Condrieu and Château-Grillet. But it is also used to add fragrance and to soften and lighten the syrah in Côte Rotie.
The majority of French Viogniers are sold as Vin de Pays (everyday wines) in the Languedoc region. In the Rhone wine region, the grape is often blended with Rousanne, Marsanne and Grenache Blanc. In the Northern Rhone the grape is sometimes blended with Chardonnay as well.
Since the late 1980s, plantings of Viognier in the United States have increased dramatically. California’s Central Coast is the leading producer, but both Argentina and Chile have significant plantings of the grape. In Australia, Yalumba is the country’s largest producer of the grape making both a white wine varietal and making extensive use of the grape in its Syrah blends.
Probably the main attraction of Viognier is its powerful, rich, and complex aroma that often seems like overripe apricots mixed with orange blossoms. With this distinctive and sweet aroma-flavor profile Viognier is nevertheless usually made in a dry style and seems to appeal more to the typical Chardonnay drinker.
The distinctive Viognier perfume holds up even when blended with a large portion of other grapes. The fruit usually has very deep color, but is somewhat low in acidity. California wineries are experimenting with blends like Viognier-Chardonnay, Viognier-Chenin Blanc and Viognier-Colombard.
Both Chardonnay and Viognier share tropical fruit flavors and a creamy mouthfeel. Even with little or no wood aging, Viognier can be as full-bodied as an oaky Chardonnay, but it has much more distinctive fruit character. It also has a typically deep golden color, as well as rich and intense flavor.
This is the wine for everyone including those who are desperate for a white wine that shows some character. It is best known for its apricot, peach and spice flavors, together with high alcohol (often over the 13% mark) and low acidity.
As with many white wines it is generally best consumed young, although the classic Viogniers of the North Rhône (and increasingly wines from the oldest vines in California and Australia) can develop well for much longer. Condrieu has been called ‘the most expensive early drinking wine in the world.
You can drink it with many foods or none. Try matching it with spicy Thai cuisine, Chinese take outs, Mexican dishes, medium to strong and salty cheeses, strong flavored fish dishes, pork, chicken and fresh fruit.
So don’t let the hard-to-pronounce name scare you away. Practice the pronunciation – then walk into your favorite fine wine store with your head held high and say, “Pardon me, but can you direct me to you selection of Viognier?”
Trust me, it will be worth the effort just to see the look on the merchant’s face, and the flavor experience that will follow.
Sunny Sipping!