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Wine Focus - Viognier
It's been just over 2 1/2 years since we took our last close look at Viognier, the increasingly popular aromatic white grape that many of us who didn't grow up speaking French find easy to like but profoundly difficult to pronounce. Practice saying it as "Vee-ohn-yay," though, and you should be able to order a glass without drawing a sneer from the snootiest sommelier; indeed, you may win praise for your sophisticated taste buds.
During the 1990s, though, the grape gained increasing attention - not least as an "Anything-But-Chardonnay" alternative - in California and other New World regions. Some of the New World versions aren't easy to warm up to, particularly when producers choose to make it as a powerfully alcoholic, oak-infused points-chaser. But at its best, in California and France alike - Viognier shows luscious peach and apricot aromas with distinct floral overtones that serve as a trademark of the variety. (It may not be lost on offbeat-grape fanciers that the Spanish/Portuguese Albariño/Alvarinho, also an aromatic white that's gaining its own growing band of fans, bears a surprisingly similar aroma profile. A Viognier-Albariño matchup might make an appetizing and educational tasting.) This fresh and aromatic quality shows at its best when the wine is young. With the possible exception of Chateau-Grillet, Viognier is not recommended as a candidate for cellaring. Drink it within two years of the vintage if you can, and don't consider it past its fourth birthday. Viognier most often shows up in single-varietal bottlings, but it occasionally appears in blends, including a few splendid Chenin Blanc-Viognier bottlings from the Golden State. Less obviously, Viognier is a minor player in the blend of Cote-Rotie, a robust red wine from the Northern Rhone that gains a bit of complexity and heightened flavor from a splash of this aromatic white in the mix. Our focus on Viognier this month also marks a slight evolution in the long-running Wine Tasting 101 feature, which this month moves from the Netscape WineLovers Community to our non-commercial WineLovers Discussion group and takes on a new title, "Wine Focus," to emphasize that the monthly grape variety or regional discussions are open to wine novices and more advanced enthusiasts alike. Meanwhile, the former "WT101" forum in the Netscape WineLovers Community also evolves a bit, with the new title "Wine of the Month" highlighting community tastings of a specific wine. More about that later this week.
Clear light gold. Peach nectar and vanilla aromas, ripe and full. Luscious texture and a hint of sweetness on the first taste segues to a finish that's more dry and tart, with medium body and a hint of alcohol (it's listed at 13.5%). Pleasant enough if just a bit awkward. It's from the same producers as the no-sulfites-added "Our Daily Red" featured last week, but the label language "Made from organically grown grapes" indicates that this wine is normally sulfited. (July 1, 2006) FOOD MATCH: Viognier's heady aromatics call for bold flavors to match, and Cantonese shrimp with lobster sauce made a fine choice. VALUE: Nothing at all the matter with this affordable price. WHEN TO DRINK: Viognier in general is not for aging, and this fresh and fruit-forward model is no exception. It will last through the year, but don't cellar it.
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You'll find the new "Wine of the Month" feature in our Netscape WineLovers Community at this link: To contact me by E-mail, write wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.
PRINT OUT TODAY'S ARTICLE  California Wine Club: Reds, Whites & You Sale Free shipping with The California Wine Club! During The California Wine Club's Reds, Whites and You Sale order from special case selections of the summer's most popular wines and we'll pay the shipping. Save $35 per 12-bottle case! Choose from these 4 cases: All White - From Chardonnay to Pinot Grigio every wine makes a refreshing summer splash. $149 Simply Reds - Your barbecue's best friend is Zinfandel and we've got that plus Merlot, Cabernet and more. $174 The Collector's Case - Gloriously mouth-filling, highly rated and coveted California Cabernets! $558 Worldwide Flavors - Gather your friends, bring your sense of adventure and enjoy these wines from Australia, Spain, Italy and South Africa. $236 For case details please visit the online Wine Store at www.cawineclub.com. Choose the Summer Selections category and use promo code RWY-06 to receive free shipping or call 1-800-777-4443. Sorry, no substitutions. Free shipping can not be applied to previously placed orders. Sale ends July 6, 2006. This week on WineLoversPage.com Some highlights of recent articles on WineLoversPage.com that I hope you'll enjoy:
• Vino 101: Grape Expectations (Part One)
• Hot topics in our WineLovers Discussion Groups
Two Inexpensive 2004 German Rieslings Last Week's Wine Advisor Index The Wine Advisor's daily edition is usually distributed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (and, for those who subscribe, the FoodLetter on Thursdays). Here's the index to last week's columns:
• Supply, Demand and Pinot Noir (June 30, 2006)
• Serious Pinot Gris (June 28, 2006)
• No sulfites added (June 26, 2006)
• Complete 30 Second Wine Advisor archive:
• Wine Advisor FoodLetter: Small Bites (June 29, 2006)
• Wine Advisor Foodletter archive:
SUBSCRIBE: Administrivia To subscribe or unsubscribe from The 30 Second Wine Advisor, change your E-mail address, or for any other administrative matters, please use the individualized hotlink found at the end of your E-mail edition. If this is not practical, contact me by E-mail at wine@wineloverspage.com, including the exact E-mail address that you used when you subscribed, so I can find your record. We do not use our E-mail list for any other purpose and will never give or sell your name or E-mail address to anyone. I welcome feedback, suggestions, and ideas for future columns. To contact me, please send E-mail to wine@wineloverspage.com All the wine-tasting reports posted here are consumer-oriented. In order to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest, I purchase all the wines I rate at my own expense in retail stores and accept no samples, gifts or other gratuities from the wine industry.
Monday, July 3, 2006
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Orleans Hill 2005 California Viognier ($10.99)
