An Unsung Hero: Viognier

First things first: we cooked a vegetarian meal this week and I must admit that I ENJOYED IT. Yes, I normally have some sort of meat/fish/fowl for dinner and I wasn't excited about having a vegetarian meal. It turned out to be WONDERFUL and it was enhanced by the wine choice: Viognier (vee-ohhn-yay). We had potato gnocchi with tomatoes, peppers, spinach and cheese--overall an "Italian" flavored meal. We also had a salad caprese (which is a 'salad' of slices of tomato and fresh mozzerella cheese, drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil). With the salad, I'd normally choose a Sauvignon Blanc (as the acidity would pair nicely with both the cheese and tomato) but since we had some rich flavors with the gnocchi I chose Viognier. Perhaps I could have chosen a chardonnay (preferably a French Chablis, as their chardonnay is light, not super oaky) but it may have overpowered the 2 dishes. Nope, I chose a grape typically found in the Rhône region of France or in and around Paso Robles, California (Central Coast). My selection was a lovely 2007 Justin Viognier (sorry, just learned it's sold out) which was nice and balanced with a crisp taste on the tongue (perfect for the salad) and a smooth finish with a nice mouthfeel and a hint of vanilla with the fruit (perfect for the gnocchi). I know, I know, I'm using "Snob speak" for this, but it was a perfect pairing and I was suitably geeked. (If you ever seek a good pairing or have a Q/want a better explanation, feel free to email me!). Give this 'different' varietal a chance-it may turn out to be your white of choice for the future! Goes well with spicy food as well... (Costco currently stocks Rosenblum for around $15 and one of the BEST viognier blends from Treana for over $20--SO worth it!). Cheers, Bo