By: Jason Sherman
As the year rolls on and seasons change, my mind, and tastes, usually start to gravitate to red wine. But this year I am still stuck on white wine for the time being…and one white wine in particular, Viognier.
One of the most underrated and under appreciated wines around, Viognier is truly a white wine for everyone. Its roots go back to France, with stories of Romans taking the varietal up the Rhone river and planting it where they landed. Nearly extinct as early as the 1960′s, viognier is now common not only France but also Australia and California.
California viognier is quickly becoming a mainstay on many wine lists, including mine here at Brennan’s. Known for its floral aroma — a mix of honeysuckle, lychee nuts, peaches and apricots — viognier smells like a muscat or Riesling on steroids. Color and aroma would suggest a sweet wine, but viognier is mostly dry and fruit forward in nature, offering flavors of almond, peach, ripe pears and spice. With its ability to pair well with such a variety of foods, viognier is definitely a wine you should seek out and try…at least until it cools down and red wine is king again.
FUN FACT: Viognier is a genetic cousin of Nebbiolo (which is used to make Barolo and Barbaresco).
Tags: California, Jason Sherman, viognier
