Voluptuous Viognier! Banish those winter blues

We've all had enough of the grim, English, slushy-not-quite-snowing-anymore weather. Me especially, having been bombarded with texts and pictures from my family's holiday in OZ. Digi and I were wondering if Australians in England are doing the same - gloating to their distant rellies about how cool and non-sweaty they are. Somehow, I doubt it.

Time to book a holiday and for once, Digi and I are in agreement.

We're thinking of a sun-drenched, warm beach in the Caribbean. You hear someone walking towards you as you're lying on the sand. It is a sun kissed, golden haired, voluptuous God/ess with a cocktail in hand, just for you. Skin glistening with coconut oil, they hand you the glass and you take a sip. A burst of fresh peaches and apricot hit you first, followed by delicate wafts of acacia blossom and musk from the flower garland that is now being placed around your neck.  The effect is seductive and delicious.

However, seeing as we can't jump on a plane in the next 10 minutes, what's the next best option for a Brit? Check out the wine list of course! And there it is, in black and white: our very own piece of paradise in a bottle. Viognier.

This peachy little number is enough to lift our spirits for the time being as we praise the full-bodied, fruit-forward richness of the wine and its satisfying, oily texture. The aroma of blossom is right there too with a delightful weightiness that reminds us of white chocolate and pine kernals. Yummy!

We are lucky here and have indulged in arguably the greatest kind of Viognier you can buy - from its homeland of Condrieu in France's Rhone Valley. We have paid for the priveledge though! So often, Viognier can quite often be out of balance with flabby, low acidity and way too much alcohol. It's not very easy to grow, you see. Some less expensive versions can be delicious though. You'll just have to taste a few to find your favourite...

Tasting Tour:
* Start of in the Languedoc-Rousillon region of France, for well priced, full and fruity offerings.

* Next try Eden Valley in Australia to see what they can do. Viognier is made all over Australia now and Yalumba have been flying the flag for the last 20 years or so.

* Chile is offering some powerfully aromatic versions if it's full-on flavour you want.

* Finally, save your pennies and find a decent 'Condrieu' from the appellation of the same name in France's Northern Rhone Valley. Condrieu will always be 100% Viognier and takes all the best bits mentioned above, with complexity, elegance and balance, It's the whole package!

I can feel the sun coming out already Now, where's that waiter...

Winebird x

Pinot Grigio - The Ikea of the wine world?

Inexpensive Pinot Grigio is the Ikea of the wine world - let's face it. While when we're first old enough to go there, it's hugely exciting and grown up but soon, we realise that it's not exactly inspiring. Sure, amongst the clean, neutral lines you get the occasional flash of a fruit shape on those beige curtains (pear?), but so often it's just plain old glug-glug. Pinot Grigio has become a relatively inexpensive and recognisable brand that does the job until you can afford to graduate onto more exciting and perhaps more expensive things.

It has always amazed me that one of the most widely drunk white wines in the UK is something so neutral and uninspiring. While there are some fabulous Pinot Grigios hidden away out there, these are just not the wines you see in your average pub or restaurant over here. But it can be great - really. You just need to know where to look!

So, before we look for some good ones, what is Pinot Grigio anyway?

Pinot Grigio is the grape, hailing from Italy but now also found in many places around the world. It's the same grape as Pinot Gris - 'Gris' is just French for 'Grey' whereas 'Grigio' is the Italian word.

When a wine is Pinot Gris however, you will often find that there's a slight difference in style. The stony, neutral character is replaced with more texure, aromatics and general, sweet ripeness. 


Why not explore this grape a bit? It can make a very beautiful wine if you look further than the pub!

Tasting Tour:
Start cheap and Italian from the Veneto: this is the 'Ikea' version: clean, neutral, with some stone fruit and white flower character if you're lucky. Highly gluggable!

Next, stay in Italy, but try the region of Friuli. These wines have a little more weight and character.

Alsace for richer, more weighty wines with a floral note. This is Pinot Gris territory.

America's North West is a fabulous place to grow Pinot Gris. Try something from Oregon today: http://www.northwest-wine.com/Pinot-Gris.html

California impressed me recently with some round and ripe Pinot Grigios with character and texture. We just can't find them easily over here in the UK! I liked this place: http://www.benesserevineyards.com

Digiboy doesn't believe me that this wine can have character. We'll soon see about that...

Winebird x