Viognier and Friends

We will begin the evening with a prepour, Familia Zuccardi Chardonnay Viognier Serie A 2009. It is a 50-50 blend of the two grapes and will introduce you to how Viognier can make friends with other grapes and improve the wines made from them. This example is from Mendoza, Argentina.

We will be sampling two other blends during the evening: Anne Amie Cuvee A Amrita 2010 from Willamette Valley, which is made from Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Riesling and is outstanding with Asian cuisine. Winemaker Thomas Houseman says, “You can make good wine from great grapes, but you cannot make great wine with good grapes…farming sustainably gets you wonderful fruit that makes great wines possible.” The second is Tablas Creek Cote de Tablas Blanc 2009, which combines Viognier, Rousanne, Marsanne, and Grenache Blanc, all grapes typically grown in the Rhone Valley. You may remember that Tablas Creek, located in Paso Robles, is owned by wine importer Robert Haas and the Perrin family, of Chateau Beaucastel, producers of world class Chateauneuf du Pape. Robert Parker gives it 89 – 91 points.

We will move on to wines that are pure Viognier, tasting three from California, and two from Condrieu in France. From California, we have wines by three pioneers. Cline 2010 Sonoma Coast Viognier - Fred Cline has been working with Viognier for 20 years and had established the best location for the vineyards as well as perfected the vinification methods to produce a wine that causes connoisseurs to crave its lush mouth-feel, crisp finish, and mouth-watering acidity. McDowell Valley Vineyards Viognier 2009 - located in Mendocino County, McDowell has Syrah vines that date back to 1919, and is most famous as a trailblazer in growing and making Rhone variety wines; their Viogniers have won many awards. A quote from Wine Spectator’s Matt Kramer, “… signature of French wines backed by plenty of ripe California fruit” describes their stable of wines. Sierra Vista Viognier 2009 – located in El Dorado, winemaker John MacReady describes it as a lovely floral wine that matches its prestigious counterpart Condrieu. Mouth-feel is round and rich with fresh apricot and nectarine fruit followed by citrus and spiced orange in the long finish. The MacReadys visited Condrieu where they tasted Viognier and decided to grow it in El Dorado.

To round out the evening we will have two Condrieus: Domaine Dumazet Condrieu Cote Fournet 2005, imported by our friends, JAO Wine Imports who do not bring in ordinary or mediocre wines, and Guigal Condrieu la Dorane 2004, given 94 points by Robert Parker and 93 points by Stephen Tanzer. Adjectives for Condrieu include majestic, powerful yet elegant, and totally hedonistic. A quote from wine writer Jay McInerny, “ Why do I love it so much? …I love it because white peaches are my favorite fruit and Condrieu frequently tastes like white peaches, though it sometimes verges on apricot. I like its texture, which is fleshy, viscous and round in the mouth. I like the floral bouquet, which often reminds me of honeysuckle. Love isn’t based on practical considerations. Condrieu is a wine for romantics… the object of a cult of discriminating hedonists. It is a wine for lovers.”

To understand why he is so enamored, come to the event at 7 PM on Friday, August 19th, at the Harrisburg Hilton, and find out for yourself. I too have loved the wine for years.

Viognier is an interesting grape, and one we have not addressed for a long time. It often has a lovely bouquet—of violets and apricots I have always heard, but others say blossoms and fruit, not wishing to be specific. It is lower in alcohol than many grapes. It can stand on its own and does in such famous areas as Condrieu in the Rhone Valley where very fine examples are made. But it can also be used with other grapes. That famous aroma has even been found in Cote-Roties, highly prized Rhone wines made from mostly Syrah. The winemakers there add a little Viognier to the mix, no doubt to improve the nose. I have seen Viognier blended with Chenin Blanc, but in that case, it was used to tone down the alcohol. Others like to blend it with Chardonnay or with Rhone white grapes. I have always been a fan of Viognier. I find it different and worthy of respect. It often tastes of apricots which I have always loved. This very taste can be its downfall if not carefully handled, but trust our tasting panel to root out those that are not up to par and to bring you only the best examples.

What is this famous nose? What is the character of this distinctive grape that makes other wines more interesting? Come to the PWS event at the Harrisburg Hilton on Friday, August 19th to find out for yourself and to taste the best examples of Viognier by itself or Viognier blended with friends. The tasting will begin at 7 p.m., but plan to come a little early to sample a pre-pour.

Our August tasting will reflect the dog days of August by presenting some lovely but not-so-common white wines. They will range from a best buy, and inexpensive but still delicious Viognier-Marsanne blend, to a prime example of Viognier, a Condrieu from the Rhone Valley in France. Our goal is to taste some unusual grapes and blends that have been made into wines that are especially good for summer sipping.

We are putting together a tasting panel that will review the wines for you, eliminating those that aren't so good. Members of the panel will then present the wines to you at the event. This format was followed last August when we presented Cabernet Franc, and you liked the opportunity to hear from different presenters as well as having a chance to give your own opinion about the wines. We expect that the wines will be from various parts of the world with some concentration on the United States and France. We will be focused on bringing to you the best examples we can find.

The tasting is scheduled for Friday evening, August 19, 2011 at 7 p.m. at the Hilton Harrisburg. Come and enjoy a relaxing start to the weekend where you will also learn something about your favorite beverage and one of my favorite grapes!

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