Viognier

Viognier (pronounced “vee-own-YAY”) is a white wine made from bright green grape clusters with white pulpy centers. You just gotta love a wine that sounds like a cheer as you say it! Known for abundant floral aromas, Viognier is often on the sweeter side of the wine scale.

In the Pacific Northwest, I have found bottles with enough tartness to cut through that varietal sweetness, balancing the two in a very harmonious manner. Many moons ago, winemakers discovered that Syrah and Viognier complement one another rather well. So well in fact that it’s now common practice to add some Viognier to Syrah in order to enhance both the mouthfeel and floral aromatics of the red wine.