A Languedoc, France Viognier
Should you get to know this white grape?...French Viognier Wine
Today’s wine was produced in the Languedoc region of southwestern France, quite an up and coming wine region. It was made by a co-operative regrouping 450 wine makers, best known for whites and rosés. If you are ever interested in packaging information, their website is the place to go. Another place to go is the nearby fishing village of Marsellan, perhaps the oldest village in France. You’ll find a great beach, lagoons, and a flea market. And it is famous for oysters. The Viognier grape boasts a fascinating history. It was close to disappearing (like 35 acres or 15 hectares) and is now making a comeback, grown in California and Australia as well as in France. You may enjoy this change from the more popular whites such as Chardonnay, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc. Today’s companion wine comes from two unpretentious grapes grown in nearby Gascony.
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.
Wine Reviewed
Henri de Richemer Viognier 2008 13.5% alcohol about $12 Vin de Pays des Côtes de Thau
Let’s start by quoting the marketing materials. “Description: This wine won a Silver Medal at Vinalies Internationales Paris 2009. Tasting Note: This pale gold-colored wine opens with fresh, attractive floral aromas. On the palate it's medium bodied, with round texture and a fruity core of pear, apple and peach plus a gentle sting of minerality. Ample acidity provides a lively tart accent on the finish. Enjoy with pork or chicken dishes featuring peachy fruit salsa. (VINTAGES panel, July 2009).” And now for my review.
French Viognier Grapes
At the first sips the wine tasted of sweet honeysuckle and had good acidity. My initial meal consisted of a boxed eggplant parmagiana that I doused with grated Romano cheese. Now the honeysuckle so typical of Viognier came to the fore. The wine was round and sweet. Its acidity went well with the dish’s tomatoes. With the dessert of fresh strawberries I still got honeysuckle but the wine was muted.
The next meal centered on a honey-garlic barbecued chicken breast. The wine tasted of pears and presented light acidity. There was honeysuckle in this somewhat oily wine. With one of my favorites, potatoes roasted in chicken fat, the Viognier’s oiliness increased and it had nice length. When this libation encountered a so-called oriental salad (a salsa-like concoction featuring tomatoes, pimentos, and garlic) it had good length but definitely faded into the background. Fresh pineapple muted this wine.
My final meal started with Japanese wasabi rice crackers. The wine retained its sweetness but there was no meshing of the flavors. When paired with a commercial shepherd’s pie it was sweet, somewhat metallic, and had good length. I added lots of Louisiana hot sauce featuring chile and lime as well as Tabasco. In response the Viognier deepened.
My first cheese was an unpretentious cottage cheese. The wine was floral and metallic. It was quite long. With a fancier, pricier Swiss cheese the wine was mostly metallic with lemon.
Final verdict. I would buy this wine again as most of the pairings were pleasant. But I wouldn’t buy it often.
Access the companion wine A Wine Lover's Weekly Review Of $10 Wine - A Gascony, France White BlendAbout the Author
Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would
rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario
French-language community college. His wine websites include
www.theworldwidewine.com
and http://www.wineinyourdiet.com
Visit his website devoted to Italian travel
www.travelitalytravel.com
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