Varietal: 100% Viognier
Region: North Carolina – USA
Cost: $19 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Light straw color with aromas of kiwi, honeysuckle, strawberry, and white pepper. Hints of honey, strawberry, and key lime in the mouth. Wine has a good mouth-feel with a lingering acidity. Pairs well with lobster with cream sauce, scallops, prawns, fried oysters, and soft shell crabs.
My Review: Given that I live in Virginia, and we recently declared Viognier (Viggy) to be our signature grape, I was intrigued when a bottle of North Carolina Viognier showed up for me to try. Viognier as a varietal has been steadily growing on me, particularly during the sweltering Virginia summers, so during some unexpectedly warm weather, my wife and I opened up the bottle while sitting on the deck.
The wine was nearly clear in the glass, and on the nose I got honeysuckle for the most part with just a touch of the floral notes I’m used to. In the mouth the wine was light with good notes of honey and tropical fruits. We paired the wine with some baked brie and some cheese and crackers while enjoying a warm evening on the deck and all in all it was a good pairing.
I wasn’t disappointed in the wine, but neither was I blown away. I may be a bit biased towards Virginia Viognier, and while I was certainly surprised by the wine given some of the others I’ve had from the state (they were very sweet and not to my taste), I don’t know that I would run out and grab this bottle over any other of the varietal. That being said, if you’re looking to try a wine from one of the Other 46, this is at least worth considering.
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