Last night in Criccieth, Wales, I found myself in a restaurant (Dylan’s) with a Viognier looking like the best white choice on the wine list…
My good friend Helen loves her Viognier but others love their Pinot Grigio (which I don’t particularly care for)… so I was not necessarily immediately convinced ! But feeling adventurous, I decided to try it.
Well… it turned out a tasty choice: dry yet rich and aromatic, with intense hints of peach and apricots. It was well rounded and fresh, went down well with our various fish courses and got praises around the table.
I read that the Viognier grape variety was originally brought to France by the Romans from Croatia. The most famous Viogniers are now made in the Rhône valley but other fine examples can be found in South Australia, South Africa and also from the south eastern Langudoc-Roussillon region of France like this example here.
So in summary, do give it a try. It was a good reasonably priced find and provided a new alternative to the ubiquitous Sauvignon Blanc (if you are like me and a bit fed up of always drinking the same thing).
Oh, and if you are still waiting for the link to Verbier, I am afraid that there is none! I just could not find anything else to vaguely rhyme with Viognier ! But hapy to receive your ideas for a better title…