I'm going to post this on the Europe board as I know this grape is also grown in France. I have recently acquired some bottles of Viognier, and was told it is a "fashionable wine that is the next Chardonnay." Oooookaaaaayyyyy.....so for all you food & wine specialists--what goes best with this wine?

Hi Melissa,
Shellfish, Sauced Seafood, fresh Wild Salmon, Herb Roast Chicken, Chinese, Sushi, Tapas, etc.
If you like Viognier, consider some of the wonderful Alsatian Pinot Blancs and Pinot Gris (the Rieslings and Gewurztraminers are great as well). Zind Humbrecht is the best producer, but those are expensive and often overwhelming.
We just returned from NW Portugal and Galicia - their Alvarinhos/Albarinos are lovely and would definitely appeal to a Viognier fan (I liked '03 Pazo Senorans - Rias Baixas, Spain best, 'tho the As Laxas was VG too). I first tried the As Laxas Albarino @ Jeffrey's in Austin on 9/11/01 (with sea bass).
Be adventurous and try everything - there are still many VG sub $10. bottles - as an example, the dry Roses from Chile, Argentina, Spain, and SW France will impress.
Enjoy!
M

Melissa - Mike gave you some great ideas. FYI, if you go to travel talk "Other Topics", you'll see "Wine-O's Only", in case you want to talk wine a little more!

I love viognier...they've been calling it the next chardonnay for years, btw. I particularly like Condrieu, but alas, it is a bit expensive for everyday quaffing. I love Pinot Gris from Oregon as a nice alternative.

It has enough body to stand with some stronger fish, for instance, real salmon (not that fish-farmed, no taste salmon that is usually available) I had a lovely Viognier on the Fourth with some wild Atlantic salmon that I grilled on alder planks to give a smoky flavor. It was a major hit.

Thanks for the wino tip. I definitely belong over there. LMF

Viognier is my favorite white! We just tasted/purchased a very nice one in Southern OR at a winery there, I'll have to look and see which one it was when I unpack the car.

The wild salmon is a great suggestion, I lived on this the past ten days! Enjoy! ***kim***

WOW. You guys are fantastic! I've never even tasted Viognier before, much less heard of it, so when I got these bottles I didn't want to open them until I was sure I knew what to serve for dinner. I will also check out the wine-o thread, that sounds very interesting.

Just as a side note: The Viogniers are from Summerwood and Garretson. I also got a bottle from Linne Calodo winery, it is a combo Viognier/Rousanne.

Just from reading your enthusiasm for this wine, I can't wait to try it!! Thank you!

I really wanted to try Rousanne at the 750 ML in Portland, OR but never made it over there.

One of the nicest Viogniers I have had in CA was at the Girl and the Fig in Sonoma, from the Imagery winery in Glen Ellen, CA.

Lil Ms Foodie: I have been sampling Pinot Gris all over Oregon the past five weeks and my favorite has been from the Raptor Ridge Winery. We purchased a bottle at the Chateaulin Wine Shop in Ashland, OR and took it to the Sanctuary in Chinook, WA for our excellent wild salmon dinner there. I can't believe we drank the whole thing! LOL

Another very nice Pinot Gris is from the Paschal winery in Ashland, OR which we toured yesterday, I'll write more on that later!!!! I originally tasted this wonderful white at the Peerless Restaurant in Ashland in March and just had to have some more!!! ***kim***

Kimamom: I am jealous of your Pinot Gris tasting adventure. Living in Florida I am looking for great white wines for summer that are good with food (I am not a chardonnay fan) that have a fruity and even floral aspect but are dry on the finish. Pinot Gris from Oregon meet this. I am reduced to the bigger commercial wineries primarily because of the ridiculous Felony Wine Shipment Law that exists here. Wines can not be ordered from Oregon or CA with out breaking many laws. Small, boutique companies don't stand a chance against the huge liquor/wine wholesalers and retailers.

I've been thinking about a wine specific trip to Oregon and maybe Yakima Valley.

As for summer wine, yesterday I bought some interesting Italian whites that have some of the characteristics of viognier. Especially looking forward to La Segreta Bianco (The Secret). A blend of many white grapes grown and bottled in Sicily. LMF

Yes, come on out to the Oregon Wine Country! Also very famous for their Pinot Noir.

Another wonderful white I enjoyed on our last trip was a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, served at Schooner's 12th Street Bistro in Astoria, OR. I'll have to call them to find out the specifics on it. Cheers! ***kim***

J & F Lurton made a ' 02 Pinot Gris in Argentina which for $6.99 at full retail will blow the socks off nearly any IT or CA Pinot Grigio (same grape) and CA and OR Pinot Gris.
Their dad owns Ch Couhins-Lurton, a grand cru white (FR) Graves and also makes the lovely Ch Coucheroy (another affordable Graves). Both were excellent in '98 and '01.
The Alsatian (FR) Pinot Gris are excellent and Zind Humbrecht's are consistenty the very best: their Vielle Vigne and the Grand Cru Rangen de Thann are world class.
M

Hey MikeMO, do you post on Robin Garr's WLDG? Just wondering. I love a great gewurtz. LMF

LilMisFoodie,
Do try Zind Humbrecht's Herrenweg Turkheim Gewurz (with Indian or Thai). It's expensive but it is a true benchmark.
M

Taking our latest bottle of Viognier from Abacela to our condo this weekend to have with the delicious halibut that they serve at the Lakeshore Lodge! Cheers! ***kim***