We always look forward to spring and plenty of leafy greens to serve with pasta in classic Mediterranean-style preparations. We decided to find a robust white wine to accompany the pasta and something to liven up dinner a bit. So, for a California Central Coast Wine Value selection, we chose a Paso Robles wine based on Viognier, a white grape variety from the Rhone.

Viognier Paso Robles 2005 from Bodega Changala

From the Changala website: The grapes for our 2005 Viognier come from two vineyards in the Paso Robles Denomination of Origin. One of the vineyards is located on the east side of Paso Robles and the other is located in Templeton. Ripe, fruity and full-bodied, the acidity of this wine makes it an excellent complement to many types of food, especially spicy foods such as Thai dishes or curries. Fermented in neutral oak and stainless steel.

Background:

Viognier (vee-ohn-yay) is one of the great white grape varieties from the Rhône region of France. The other two are Roussane and Marsanne. It is common to find wines, especially from the southern Rhône region, that use all three in a blend. Viognier is an ancient grape with a long lineage. Probably originally from Dalmatia, he came to the Rhône regions with the Romans.

Wikipedia states that the grape’s name may derive from the “Roman pronunciation of via Gehennae, meaning ‘road to hell’.” Anyone who has grown this grape knows the truth of that statement! He is a stingy and capricious producer. But when handled well, Viognier produces a fine wine of moderate acidity with rich, complex aromas of stone fruit and orange blossom. In the Rhône region, it is often blended with the famous regional red wine Syrah to soften the tannic Syrah and add fragrance to the wine.

Our comments:

When opening the bottle we notice the marked aromas of stone fruits characteristic of this wine. In the glass the wine was a transparent golden color. On shaking the glass, we note slow-developing, long-lasting tears that indicate substantial structure to the wine.

The aroma of the wine had pronounced aromas of apricot stone fruit and peach wine with a small hint of orange.

On the palate, the wine was rich and creamy, dry with very mild sweetness and moderate acidity. The alcohol level of 14.1% was not overwhelming and was enough to give the feeling of having a mouth full. Neutral oak barrel aging was used in the processing, so there was no discernible oak in the flavor.

The finish was long and smooth, leaving a slight lingering aftertaste of orange and citrus.

We really liked this wine. The moderate acidity, richness, and fruity aromas definitely make this wine a candidate for an aperitif substitute for those of us who can’t stomach another glass of Chardonnay. As a pairing wine, it has just the right amount of sweetness and hints of fruit and citrus to complement simply prepared poultry dishes, such as rosemary grilled chicken, and will pair well with light vegetable pasta dishes.