In the case of my tasting group the Ladies Tasting Society, our next chardonnay is usually, well, another chardonnay.
But for many wine drinkers, chardonnay is oh, so yesterday. A victim of its own success — Americans drink more of it than all red varieties combined — chardonnay has become too obvious a selection for wine snobs. Worse, wineries intent upon slaking our enormous thirst for chardonnay have dumped millions of gallons of four-square chard on the market. The ladies can spot this industrial drink a mile away: it’s overly alcoholic, flaccid in texture, lacking in fruit flavors, and (because it spent too much time in new oak barrels) tastes a bit like a vanilla shake.
Thank Bacchus for a sleeper of a little white grape called viognier.
Pronounced VEE-own-yay, this grape hails from France, where it’s the preferred ingredient for whites made in the northern part of the Rhone river valley. Winemakers in the U.S. and Australia have adopted viognier and (when properly raised) made it into a beguiling alternative in the schoolyard popularity contest now dominated by vapid, gum-smacking chardonnays. Viognier can be said to be the drink of choice of the ABC, or “anything but chardonnay” movement.
Like its nemesis, viognier can be a rich, satisfying white; it can also be made in a crisper, more floral style. Along with the apple and pear flavors you expect from chardonnay, viognier exhibits stone-fruit flavors like peaches, melon, and apricots. (These flavors help distinguish viognier from some other white favorites, like sauvignon blanc, which draws more for its flavor palette from citrus fruits like grapefruit or lime.) Plus, viognier comes with the added bonus of a distinctly floral aroma. The ladies always know they’re in viognier territory when they catch the scent of honeysuckle wafting out of the glass.
Unlike chardonnay, though, viognier is usually made with less time in oak, so it’s fresher and better to drink with food. (At our blind tasting, the ladies enjoyed it with fresh shrimp over a salad of greens, grapefruit, and goat cheese.) It’s also a stimulating alternate choice to make if you’re at a restaurant and having fish or chicken.
The ladies gave ourselves a limit of $25 and tasted five viogniers: two from France and four from California. Our conclusion? Well, viognier’s triumph may not be immanent. First of all, we had a surprisingly arduous time finding enough bottles for the tasting. One carfull of ladies drove around to four shops in vain hopes of finding a Condreiu, the great white of the northern Rhone, made from viognier. (Should you spot one, though, it’s a super wine for a special occasion.)
Second, the wines themselves were delightful and probably more consistently well-made than a similarly-priced array of chardonnays would have been. But they lacked seriousness as a contender. Fun, yes, like a Portia. Not unbalanced like an Anne. But if Ellen’s next girlfriend is a keeper, we’re sorry to say she’d be a chardonnay.
Coulda Been a Contender: Viognier
BEST OF TASTING
Ethan Vineyards “Spring Valley” 2003 (Central Coast, California) $17.99
Wow. Good base flavors of peach and apricot with an extra, spicy dimension of cloves and nutmeg. Big, but not flabby. Made by the son of the well-known Qupe Vineyards’ founder. B
BEST VALUE
Moillard “Huges le Juste” 2003 (Pays d’Oc, France) $11
Lighter in weight, but packed with melon flavor. A slightly minerally, pleasantly chalky note, and honeysuckle aromas. Pleasing, clean, mouthfeel. B-
For info on the winery, click here
ALSO TASTED:
Cold Haven Cellars “Stanford and Benedict Vineyard” 2003 (Central Coast, California) $22.99
Fruitier than the ladies themselves! Huge apricot and peach flavors, draped on a good acid backbone. Mineral notes emerged after some time in the glass. B
For the winery, click here
Laurent Miquel “Nord Sud” 2003 (Pays D’Oc, France) $9.99
Peachy aromas followed by a delicate melon and floral flavors. Ain’t nothing wrong with this, especially the price; it just lacked fireworks. C+
Vinum Cellars “Vista Verde Vineyard” 2003 (San Benito, California) $18.99
Lots of apricots on the palate and a big bouquet of roses and honeysuckle flowers. With more than 14 percent alcohol, though, this wine was struggling against obesity. Viscous mouthfeel. C+
For the winery, visit here
