Ever heard of
Viognier?
I first heard of this grape when I was taking a quiz on a wine website. Since I didn't take French in high school, I didn't know how to pronounce it. But since it isn't a common type of grape, I was immediately interested.
To quote my good friends at Wine Spectator, who explain it better than anyone:
"The rare white grape of France's
Rhône Valley, is one of the most difficult grapes to grow. But fans of the floral, spicy white wine are thrilled by its prospects in the south of France and the new world. So far most of the
Viogners produced in the United States are rather one-dimensional, with an abundance of spiciness but less complexity than they should have. Still, there are a few bright spots.
It is used in
Condrieu's rare whites and sometimes blended with reds in the Northern
Rhône. There are also a variety of
bottlings available from southern France, most of them somewhat light."
I'm intrigued, and would like to try this wine sometime. If you have had a wine with
Viognier as the principle grape, let me know how it was!!
Karen, the Wine Goddess
