One of my favorite white varietals is Viognier. I absolutely love the rich aromas from this grape variety, and when the flavor profile coincides with the aromas this is a fantastic wine. I had the opportunity to recently sample the 2010 Parker Station Viognier from Santa Barbara County California, and this wine hit all of the marks for what I love about this variety. The nose had wonderful aromas of tropical fruit, pears, stone fruit, and honeysuckle. On the palate brought out flavors of pineapple, pears, golden delicious apples, apricots, and on the back end a slight minerality. This Viognier was a medium-bodied white, with great balance, and a very nice and clean finish. This is a wine that I would definitely recommend trying.

The Viognier grape variety produces a highly aromatic wine that is very fruit-forward both on the nose and the palate. Because it is so aromatic and fruit-forward, it is a white varietal that I truly enjoy, and finding a good Viognier is something that I am always in search of. While visiting the wine country of Northern California recently, I was able to sample a bottle of the 2010 Loredona Viognier from Lodi. On the nose this wine displayed rich floral aromas, along with aromas of stone and tropical fruit. The flavor profile was of floral, including honeysuckle and violets, as well as apricots, peaches, pineapple, mango, and a touch of minerality. This was a medium-bodied Viognier, with good mouth feel, a medium finish, and was well balanced. The only downside for me was that it displayed too much floral both on the nose and the palate. For a Viognier that retails under $10, this is one to try.

Jon

I get asked the question quite a bit what’s my favorite wine. In all honesty, I don’t have a favorite wine, because I am constantly sampling new wines, and thinking of what wines pair best with the food that I am having. However, there are certain varietals that I do prefer over others, and with white wines, one of my favorite varietals is Viognier.
I recently sampled a bottle of the 2008 Cold Springs Viognier. The color of this wine in the glass is a vibrant gold. The aromas and flavors associated with this particular Viognier are of pineapple, apples, pears, peaches, with a slight hint of grass, and minerality. The 2008 Cold Springs Viognier is a medium-bodied wine, with powerful fruit aromas, and a medium finish. The minerality of this wine did leave a slight bitter after taste, but this did not distract from the overall quality of the wine.

Jon

The Sawtooth Winery is located in Idaho’s Snake River AVA, and the label on the bottle depicts the beauty of Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountain Range. Idaho’s unique geography, climate and soils makes for great grape growing, and the varietal character of the grapes stands out in the wines produced there. The Rhone varietals thrive in this environment, with hot summer days, and cool nights.
The 2007 Viognier has aromas of pears, apples, mango, and honeysuckle. The flavor profile is of pears, apples, tropical fruit, and a trace of minerality. The wine is fruit-forward, with a slight creaminess,  and is nicely balanced. This is an everyday, affordable Viognier.

Jon