Garlic Ramp Pesto on Fettucine with #NWTW Viognier
The #NewWineThisWeek assignment was Viognier from France. I spent some quality time with a variety of Viogniers this winter, so I didn’t feel a strong pull to participate this week. Along came Saturday, and I just couldn’t resist. I stopped by a local wine shop and picked up a $9 Viognier from the southern Rhone. … Continue reading
Fish in Parchment: Viognier or Sancerre?
Our final Viognier test will be with a light dish: fish in parchment. Medium bodied Viognier or light bodied Sancerre; which will pair the best? We’ve tried Viognier with heartier fare and spicy foods, now we’ll challenge it on the opposite side. Matello Deux Vert Viognier 2010 ($28 from the Winery) Eye: Nice rich yellow … Continue reading
Shrimp Masala & Viognier
Viognier with Spicy Indian Food After some early success in this Viognier series with spicy foods, I decided to take the spice level up a notch. Today, we’ll try a couple of nice Viogniers with Shrimp Masala. Whenever I’m looking for an Indian recipe, my first stop is My Fancy Pantry. Shari is a food … Continue reading
Roast Chicken Pairing: Viognier or Pinot Noir?
Viognier Exploration #3: Wine Pairing with Roast Chicken Our next Viognier experiment will test two very nice wines with a locally sourced roast chicken dinner. For roast chicken, I would often pick out a nice Pinot Noir. If I’m really open, would a Viognier be a better match? Going Local in Late Fall All summer … Continue reading
Viognier & Spicy Food? – Shrimp Tacos
Viognier pairs with a number of interesting foods: Indian cuisine, curries, pork, chicken, anything in a cream sauce, moderately spicy foods. Today we’re testing Viognier with spicy foods. We’re also trying inexpensive examples from California and France. Let’s go! Our spicy food test dish is shrimp tacos. Our basic tacos are barbecue-rub spicy, which is … Continue reading
Viognier Exploration: Curry Chicken, Sweet Potato & Cauliflower
Getting to Know Viognier It’s time to explore a varietal that is surprisingly easy to find, but a little less known: Viognier. Wines made from the Viognier grape tend to have a bigger body: perfect for colder weather. I purchased wines from a variety of different places: California, Washington, Oregon, Australia and France. The samples I … Continue reading
Quick Visit & Lunch in Tain L’Hermitage
If you’re a Northern Rhone fan, a visit to Tain L’Hermitage is well worth your time. Seeing the land for yourself will show you things you will never learn from a book or an article. After our morning visit at Jean-Louis Chave, we had a little time to explore before we caught the train back … Continue reading
Which Wine with Roast Chicken?
With a houseful of guests over the holidays, I thought a nice roast chicken dinner would be easy, pretty, and a healthy choice in advance of all the rich foods ahead. I picked out two very nice wines to serve with the chicken, I was curious to see if one would prove to be a … Continue reading
“Our Grand Meander” Walla Walla – Rulo Winery
We met Kurt and Vicki Schlicker last year on our trip to Walla Walla and were intrigued by their journey into winemaking as well as their incredible wines. Typically a white wine drinker, Julie has become a fan of these restrained, old-world reds thanks to RULO wines! Kurt got a microbiology degree from Stanford and worked … Continue reading
“Our Grand Meander” Walla Walla – Rotie Cellars
One of our first stops in Walla Walla was at the Rotie Cellars tasting room. We met owner and winemaker Sean Boyd last year and joined the wine club (the “Rotiesians.”) This year, we visited in the midst of the hectic fall harvest/crush. We weren’t able to catch Sean, but Alicia, the tasting room manager … Continue reading
