Domaine de Triennes Viognier
Viognier
Tricky to pronounce, Viognier (pronounced “VEE-ohn-yay”) is a white Rhone varietal, found also in many other countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and the US. In the US, it is found in California, Virginia, Texas, Washington, Oregon, and even in the Niagara region.
It is a difficult grape, and, unfortunately, there are many poor versions on the market, especially the US versions. At its best, it has an alluring aroma of honeysuckle, citrus, lychee, honeydew melon, freshly picked peaches and apricots, – that immediately gets your attention. The flavors are equally alluring. They tend to be lush wines, needed to be matched with stronger flavors. You can substitute medium to full bodied chardonnay wines with viognier wines.
The best of the best are the wines from Condrieu in the Rhone Valley – but they can be very pricey, with some going for over $100. Save these for a special occasion (we have a few in our wine collection – and we’ll write about these later). Look for the viognier wines of Provence in France, such as the Domaine de Triennes (we like this a lot, especially at $17), or try one from New Zealand such as Trinity Hill. These wines are always under $25. The Darioush Viognier is the best in the US, but is about $40. You can also look for the Abeja from Washington state, the K Viognier from Columbia Valley, and the Penner-Ash from Oregon (all under $25).
