The Wine Knows

Last week, I wrote an item about Rhone varieties in the Pacific Northwest, but I'd like to focus a little more closely on Viognier, the white wine of France's Condrieu region (just south of Cote-Rotie) and a new darling in the Pacific Northwest.

In the Summer issue of Wine Press Northwest, we judged 39 Northwest Viogniers. The best were distinctive in their aromas and flavors of flowers and tropical fruits and provided impressive backbones of acidity.

Here are a few facts about Viognier:

-- It's pretty difficult to grow because Viognier clusters tend to be uneven.

-- You might notice a distinctive orange Creamsicle note in the aromas and flavors of some Viogniers. In fact, this is developing into a classic note in Washington Viogniers.

-- Viognier was nearly extinct a half-century ago, with just a dozen acres left in France. Today, that has expanded to more than 700 acres, primarily in Condrieu.

-- In California, about 300 acres are planted.

-- In Washington, some 400 acres have been planted, mostly in this decade.

-- In Oregon, about 135 acres are planted.

-- Viognier - like Syrah, its red counterpart - is notoriously low in acidity. Thus, those examples that show good acidity really stood out with our judges.

The top wine in our Viognier judging was the Vin du Lac 2006 Vie! ($18). It used fruit from the relatively cooler Yakima Valley and the distinctly cooler Lake Chelan region. Owner/winemaker Larry Lehmbecker ferments his Viognier in stainless steel and doesn't dare to put it through a secondary malolactic fermentation. Either of these actions could rob his Viognier of its distinctive fruit and acidity.

Rounding out the top Viogniers were:

-- DiStefano Winery 2005 Viognier, Columbia Valley, $22.

-- Spangler Vineyards 2006 Viognier, Southern Oregon, $16.

-- Bergevin Lane Vineyards 2006 Viognier, Columbia Valley, $25.

-- Alexandria Nicole Cellars 2006 Viognier, Columbia Valley, $18.

You might notice the prices for Viognier are closer to $20 than $10. This is for at least a couple of reasons: difficulty to grow and acreage planted. I suspect that as acreage continues to increase, we will see Viogniers closer to $10-$15.