Who likes short shorts?
Evidently, I like short shorts! It’s summer time, and like Adam Sandler’s “The Peeper”, I’m LOVIN’ IT!
For me, summer means BBQs, laying out on my sweet deck in my sweet chaise lounge, golfing, camping, and general good times with Mr. Zeb Walter - the love of my life. Know what goes good with all of those things?
White Wine!!
And I am on a mean white wine kick lately. Used to be ros-ay was my summer vino of choice - but these days, I’m sippin’ on viognier like you only read about (have you read about it yet? Perhaps not. Now you are!).
Now, for summer sippin’ you could probably find yourself something cheaper than Viognier. But why would you want to? Viognier delivers everything I want to drink in the summer - did somebody say delicious floral aromas? Paging white peach, pear and honeysuckle flavors … please report to my wine glass! Vibrant fruit flavors without excessive sweetness makes Viognier my “Summer Lovin’” summer love.
And you know who makes AMAZING viognier? Winemakers who produce great Syrah.
Take, for instance, Stark Wine. Stark Wine produces ultra-premium Syrah - full-bodied, tasty, knock-your-socks-off Syrah. And do you know what (in my opinion) makes their Cuvée Julian Syrah so crazy-good? Co-fermentation with Viognier. A puny 2% makes this Russian River Valley Syrah, well, something else. Imagine what 100% Viognier can do. Then drink it.
Did I just blow your mind?
Co-fermenting Viognier with Syrah is no new-fangled thing. They’ve been doing it in the Northern Rhone for years, as it can not only make Syrah prettier to look at (by intensifying the color of the wine), it also can create a silkier mouthfeel in typically chalky Syrah, and bring some floral fruitiness to otherwise gamey meat-tastic Syrah aromas. You know, for the vegetarians out there.
Co-fermentation business aside - Viognier is straight yummy in its own right. Really delicious, quality, American-made Viognier is out there - I’ll share a few more of my faves but hey, tell me in the comments if you’ve got a killer Viognier that I need to try. I’m all about the exploration!
Say hello to this new release from up-and-comer “Wines of Substance”. Visit their website sometime, its TRIPPY!
i’m excessively fond of the people at Twisted Oak - not only is their mascot a rubber chicken named Ruben… they back up all the quirkiness with crazy good wines. Their viognier does not disappoint. Oh, and the tasting notes for this wine can be sung to the tune of the Gilligan’s Island theme song. I am not kidding, check it:
Just sip one glass and you’ll hear a tale. A tale of a tasteful trip. That started with this Viognier, aboard this winery ship. The mate was a mighty winemaker, the assistant brave and sure. The Twisted Few set sail that day for a winemaking tour, a winemaking tour. The weather started getting rough, the vineyard almost lost. If not for the courage of the cellar crew the flavors would be lost, the flavors would be lost. Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah something something something isle, with coconuts, papayas too. Taste butterscotch, apricots. A touch of oak, the finish and Mary Ann, in this Twisted Oak Wine.
Okay, thats a little tricky. Especially if you’ve had a little viognier… like I have. Poor Zeb is shooting me the stank eye as I break out “A THREE HOUR TOOOOOOUR! A THREE HOUR TOOOOOUR!”
I’m going to go ahead and say it - VIOGNIER IS THE BOMB! I’ll continue the exploration of great summer wines, but for now, I’m stuck on viognier.
Tags: summer wine, syrah, viognier, wine
June 12th, 2009 at 9:48 am
Agreed! Viognier IS the bomb! I feel like I’m the last kid on the block to enjoy any this far into the summer (doh!) but I’ve got that trusty bottle of Waters ‘07 Viognier staring daggers at me… it will be drank this summer - that’s a promise.
June 12th, 2009 at 9:51 am
Oh snap! My 2008 Waters (”Watizz”) Viognier is awaiting some particularly juicy summer’s day to be opened and enjoyed, but rest assured it WILL be enjoyed this summer as well!