A floral white wine that is a delightful patio sipper, and great food partner
History
Commonly planted in the Rhône region of France, Viognier is often blended with marsanne, grenache blanc and rolle. New world planting of Viognier in Canada and the United States has increased exponentially since the 1980’s.
Method
1. HARVEST: Grapes are harvested early in the morning to produce a pure juice. The skin of the Viognier grape is soft, and high in phenols which can result in an ‘oiliness’ if left in contact with the wine for too long.
2. PRODUCTION: The lees (residual yeast) in newer world viognier is sometimes stirred to increase acid levels.
Pair With…
The highly floral and fruit forward characteristics, lend themselves perfectly to spicy cuisine such as Thai, Indian and Asian.
3 Viognier CSLLoves
1.France: THREE WINDS Rich, full and flflavourful, this slightly sweet viognier is ripe with tropical fruit. The roundness of this wine is care of the slightly baked fruit aromas and honey that coat the palate.
2. Argentina: BODEGAS ESCORIHUELA GASCON 1884 RESERVADO VIOGNIER big and bold, this zingy viognier packs a punch of apricot and peach and a refreshing blast of citrus. This wine makes a great pairing with seafood dishes.
3. USA: HOPE FAMILY TREANA WHITE BLEND A blend of viognier and marsanne, the Hope family helped to pioneer this style of California white Rhone blend. Floral, citrus notes, with hints of stone fruit this white has excellent balance and will age well.
This original travel article first appeared in the Spring 2014 issue of City Style and Living Magazine.
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