WTN: 2005 Praxis Viognier, Lodi, 2001 Steele Lake County Viognier

[JC (NC)]

Could we have an approximate pronunciation for this variety?

(Also lists Alexander Valley but the website explains that they are Sonoma County-based but feel warmer climate of Lodi is beneficial for Viognier grapes.) Bronze medal winner at San Diego Wine Competition 2006.

A glass of this at a local restaurant before seeing "Da Vinci Code."
Pale gold color. Pear and herbaceous nose. Some indication of oak. Probably would have been more enjoyable with food but I didn't have time to order an appetizer. I could see it with bruschetta or maybe plank-grilled salmon (though Pinot Noir would be my first choice). Ultimately, I found this slightly boring.

At home I opened a 2001 Steele Lake County (CA) Viognier. Unfortunately, I think this would have been better if opened in 2003 or 2004. I liked it at a tasting in Raleigh a few years ago but think it was a wine meant to be consumed early on. I have had Rostaing Condrieu "La Bonnette" which I love and which is also from the Viognier grape. This premium (in the sense Jenise uses--not to denote a $6 wine!) Condrieu handles a few years of age nicely but maybe Jed Steele's Viognier isn't intended to be an ager.

[James Roscoe]

Ouch, too bad. Pinot is my go to with Salmon. Anice white burgundy is always good. No reason the Viognier shouldn't have worked though.

[Jenise]

JC, your post jogged an early memory. Dinner in San Francisco at EOS (who have an excellent by-the-glass program), and I ordered a starter course of grilled spiced fresh peach with micro greens and some kind of fruit vinaigrette. Even though I didn't like viognier, it was the only grape on the list (no idea what producer) that seemed like it would match, and it did splendidly. It was really bizarre to like the wine with the food where I found it--like yours--"slightly boring" on its own. Well, maybe more than slightly, but the food on the plate filled in the wine's deficits in an interesting way--it's quite common to say that a wine went better with food, but it's rare in my experience to dislike a wine on it's own and yet like it quite a bit with food.

[JC (NC)]

It does sound like the kind of dish that would almost require a Viognier.
Smart pairing!