Wine for the Weekend of 10/4/19

Viognier is the Wine for the Weekend of 10/4/19

The first time that I tasted Viognier was at a restaurant chain called California Kitchen. Ironically, it is the same country from which my glass of wine originated. They have a great wine by the glass menu. That’s why I chose it to be the wine for the weekend of 10/4/19. What I remember most is the wonderful aroma jumping out of the glass. However, Viognier originated in France. It is pronounced vee-aa-nyei. It is made in and around a tiny town called Condrieu in the Northern Rhone Valley. Now, Viognier is made in many countries including the U.S., Australia, Italy, South Africa and South America.

French Viognier

It seems like most of the popular grape varieties started or emerged from France. Remember, France was taken over many times in the past due to being in the middle of Europe. There is England to the west, Spain to the south, Germany to the west and Italy as well. And, the Romans brought a lot of varieties to France 2000 years ago. Many European countries name their wines after the town. French viognier is named Condrieu. You see that it’s a tiny town at the top of the map above. Easy to find, E. Guigal is a large producer of Condrieu. Remember that most wineries blend other grape varieties into their wines. However, Condrieu has to be 100% viognier grapes.

Other Countries Viogniers

I would like to show you examples from other countries so you can know what to look for when you go shopping. In this case, pictures matter more than words. My guess is that most of these countries might blend some other grapes into their wines. Each country or state makes their own rules. For example, if a bottle of wine from California states the varietal on the label, then it must contain a minimum of 75% of that varietal. That gives the winemaker a lot of leeway to mix in 25% of other grape varieties. What if you discover that your favorite Merlot has 25% zinfandel in it? That might be a shock to you. Below are six wines. They are from California, Australia, Italy, South Africa, Chile and Argentina.

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Aromas and Tastes

Viognier is one of a few white varietals that could easily replace chardonnay as the most popular due to its aromas and tastes. It’s aromas hook you.. Expect apricot, honeysuckle, peach, tangerine, mango, rose and gingerbread. It makes you think the wine is sweet, when in reality it is bone dry like riesling. Look at the comparison below. Viognier aromas are on the top right.

Food Pairings

Viognier pairs well with a wide variety of seafood and shellfish. Also, it works well with roasted or grilled chicken, veal and pork. In addition, viognier is yummy with some vegetables, salads and hard or soft cheese.

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