{"id":24749,"date":"2024-04-05T06:37:21","date_gmt":"2024-04-05T10:37:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/?p=24749"},"modified":"2024-04-12T05:25:22","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T09:25:22","slug":"10-best-viognier-wines-to-buy-now-5-surprising-facts-about-viognier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/10-best-viognier-wines-to-buy-now-5-surprising-facts-about-viognier\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Best Viognier Wines to Buy Now + 5 Surprising Facts about Viognier"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"Celebrate<\/a><\/p>\n

By Lesley Quinn<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
With a gold like colour, luscious tropical fruit tones and a full body to pull it all together,\u00a0Viognier is a bon-viveur’s\u00a0dream wine.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
If\u00a0done properly a good\u00a0Viognier\u00a0can be like a late\u00a0summer walk through a peach\u00a0orchard. Aromas permeating the\u00a0warm thick air\u00a0with pungent ripe fruit.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"white<\/a>And\u00a0although it’s decadent, somehow it\u00a0still leaves you feeling refreshed as most Viogniers\u00a0are\u00a0vinified to dryness.\u00a0But if done poorly a\u00a0Viognier can be flabby and flat\u00a0and feel like you’ve decided to take up coconut\u00a0oil pulling again.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Let these 10 great\u00a0Viogniers be your next buy\u00a0and these 5 facts about the grape be the talking points you share as you enjoy your summer walk in a glass.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
1. The original home of Viognier is believed to be Croatia, however,\u00a0it found its first true home in the Northern Rhone appellation of Condrieu, thanks to Romans settlers.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Some records even indicate that Viognier got the name from the\u00a0nearby town of Vienne in France. Which\u00a0is why we will start off our list of\u00a010 great Viogniers to try with 2 from France.<\/div>\n
Domaine Rostaing <\/a>“La Bonnette” Condrieu, 2010\u00a0-$70.99 Aromas of ripe\u00a0pears, apricot jam, and spring flowers.<\/div>\n
Chateau Grillet<\/a> Condrieu 2010 – $222.99 Pineapple, lime blossom, and hazelnut with a \"48603\"<\/a>sea breeze like minerality.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
2. The Northern Rhone region of France may have been Viognier’s first home, yet\u00a0it almost went extinct there. In the 1960s, there were fewer than 25 hectares of Viognier planted in Condrieu.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Luckily, a group of tenacious California growers helped bring\u00a0the variety back from the edge\u00a0of extinction, so that today there are roughly 6,000 hectares worldwide.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The wines\u00a0from California do\u00a0tend to be higher in alcohol and have an even bigger\u00a0body, but they\u00a0are just as luscious and delightful.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Calera Viognier<\/a>, 2012 $39.95 Papayas and mangoes mingle with jasmine and orange blossoms.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Mcmanis Viognier<\/a>, 2011 $19.99\u00a0A fruit cocktail of peaches, pears, and apricots with great minerality from stainless steel aging.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \"download<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
3. Any Viognier grower is tenacious in my books because Viognier is notoriously difficult to grow.\u00a0It\u00a0is susceptible to disease.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It\u00a0can have small yields (which means fewer grapes),\u00a0and if picked too early the wine\u00a0doesn’t have those irresistible tropical scents.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Then again, wait too long to pick, and the wine has no acidity, leaving you with\u00a0that\u00a0flabby oily texture. Don’t fret though, France and the US are not the only regions with the patience and skills to harness this finicky grape.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Check out these\u00a0Italian and\u00a0Australian Viogniers\u00a0for a change of pace.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Michele Satta<\/a>\u00a0“Giovin Re” IGT Toscana, Italy 2013 $36.99 Exotic perfumes and incense matched with citrus fruits and apricots.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Yalumba<\/a>\u00a0“The Y Series” South Australia 2014 $16.95 Lychees, lemon, and ginger over a silky smooth texture.<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \"download<\/a><\/div>\n
4. Viognier may be great on its own, but it is also a team player. It is often blended with the red wine\u00a0Shiraz\/Syrah both\u00a0to lend the wine more\u00a0aromatics\u00a0and to ironically to\u00a0stabilize the red colour.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
You can even\u00a0see it listed side by side with Shiraz\/Syrah\u00a0on some labels from Australia and France. It is also a great contributor\u00a0in white wine blends.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Partnering well with grapes like Chardonnay, or Marsanne and Rousanne (the Rhone Valley’s other main white grapes). Here\u00a0are 2 great\u00a0white wine blends with Viognier in the mix\u00a0to try.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Tablas Creek<\/a>\u00a0“Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc” Paso Robles California\u00a0$35 Passionfruit, honeysuckle and a flinty finish.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Tamaya Reserva<\/a>\u00a0Chardonnay-Viognier Limari Valley, Chile $15 Melons, orange marmelade, with\u00a0apricots and jasmine.<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\"016_Tamaya_SpecRes_2003-500x500\"<\/a><\/div>\n
5. Now Viognier may play well with other grapes in blends, but it sure\u00a0can be\u00a0difficult to pair with food because of its lack of acidity.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Here are some tips to make sure you enjoy both the Viognier\u00a0and the food. Try it with mildly spicy Thai curries, or rich seafood dishes like chowder.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

\"Indian<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

It can be a good partner for a mildly\u00a0spicy pork dish, a foie gras terrine\u00a0or even a Michelina\u00a0salmon teriyaki if you are on a budget and would rather splurge on the wine than on the food. Here are my two favourite food friendly Viogniers.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Black Hills Viognier<\/a>, VQA Okanagan Valley, BC 2013,\u00a0$26.99 Lemon biscotti, orange blossom and peaches.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Santa Julia Viognier<\/a>, Mendoza Argentina,\u00a02012 $14.99 Persistant yet fresh\u00a0flavours of\u00a0apricots, and peaches.<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\"download<\/a><\/div>\n
Now get out there and start exploring these Viogniers,\u00a0and the many more out there. We\u00a0all have to do our part to ensure it doesn’t fade into extinction.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"Lesley-Quinn<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Lesley Quinn<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Lesley is a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers. She first fell in love with wine while working in the vineyards of a winery in Hawk’s Bay New Zealand in 2007. In 2010, she became the Assistant Sommelier for the Ritz Carlton in the Grand Cayman.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
She was responsible for maintaining a wine list with 182 labels at the resort’s Italian Al Fresco restaurant, Periwinkle.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
In 2012, she moved on to become Director of Food and Beverage at the Marriott Hotel in Vancouver, where she overhauled the wine list and hosted wine tastings and dinners with industry luminaries for guests.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
In 2013, she returned to her home in Prince Edward Island as the Sommelier for the Murphy Group of Restaurants, a collection of six establishments, with her main focus on the flagship Sim’s Oyster Bar and Steakhouse.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
In 2015, she joined the knowledgable staff at Willow Park Wine & Spirits as a Wine Expert, it is Canada’s largest privately owned store, and she spends her time savouring the wide selection of wines and scotches. She has also joined Iron Chef winner Michael Noble in his latest restaurant venture The Nash.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
She spends her very little down time blind tasting and studying for the advanced level Sommelier exam with the Court of Master Sommeliers … yes, just like in the movie Somm.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Lesley Quinn With a gold like colour, luscious tropical fruit tones and a full body to pull it all together,\u00a0Viognier is a bon-viveur’s\u00a0dream wine. If\u00a0done properly a good\u00a0Viognier\u00a0can be like a late\u00a0summer walk through a peach\u00a0orchard. Aromas permeating the\u00a0warm thick air\u00a0with pungent ripe fruit. And\u00a0although it’s decadent, somehow it\u00a0still leaves you feeling refreshed as most Viogniers\u00a0are\u00a0vinified to dryness.\u00a0But if done poorly a\u00a0Viognier can be flabby and flat\u00a0and feel like you’ve decided to take up coconut\u00a0oil pulling again. Let these 10 great\u00a0Viogniers be your next buy\u00a0and these 5 facts about the grape be the talking points you share as you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":218236,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[113,10,1064,331,1155,1246,394],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-wines","category-food-wine-pairing","category-full-bodied-wine","category-lesley-quinn","category-best-wine-review-top","category-viognier","category-white-wine"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/218236"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24749"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24749\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24864,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24749\/revisions\/24864"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}