Grape Crush – The V word

The once elusive French white grape, Viognier (pronounced “vee-oh-NYAY”), has hit the mainstream. It was among pop food diva Rachael Ray’s recent wine recommendations, and it has wormed its way into the cheeky comments of The New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, who referred to fans of Sen. Barack Obama as the Viognier-and-Volvo set.

So what is this hard-to-pronounce juice? A snobby sipper or an accessible crowd pleaser? Both. And it’s worth sampling.

Viogniers are generally dry with notes of stone fruits and pears, and they’re sometimes intensely floral. Often blended with other wines, like Chardonnays and Syrahs, this low-acid grape lends softness. It is largely grown in France’s Northern Rhone region, but more domestic vineyards harvest it as well.

Best drunk young, the fragrant Viognier pairs well with all sorts of fare, from spicy Asian to assertive French cheeses.

Eberle, Viognier

Paso Robles, 2006, $20

The lengthy 2006 growing season produced well-concentrated fruit. Look for lychee here, along with honeysuckle and apricot, and plan to serve this bottle with either Pad Thai or raw oysters. If that’s not reason enough to sip away, note that the winery was founded in 1983 by Gary Eberle, who was attending LSU when he fell in love with wine.

Pine Ridge, Chenin Blanc Viognier

Napa Valley, 2006, $14

Pine Ridge was the first California vineyard to feature this blend, which includes the fruit-forward, high-acid Chenin Blanc and its floral pal, Viognier. Like the others, there’s a range of interesting fruit here, from lychee to grapefruit to pear. Because it’s so young, this one can be put up, but not for more than two years. This one’s a good aperitif and pairs well with triple crčme Brie.

Graham Beck, Chardonnay/Viognier

Western Cape, South Africa, 2006, $14

Both grapes in this blend were selected and harvested by hand and fermented in French oak. A small portion was fermented in stainless steel to provide richer notes. There’s a neat range of fruit here, including both a citrus zing and tropical fruits on the palate. The nose is full of stone fruits. Sample this one with crab au gratin or shrimp in cream sauce.