Ventura Viognier from Ojai Vineyard, Wildflower Winery Paired with Oysters, Cheese, Duck

Ventura viognier

The Final Friday in April is Viognier Day (vee-ON-yay and vee-OWN-yay). DNA profiling at University of California, Davis in 2004 revealed viognier, a white grape, as closely related to two Italian red grapes: Freisa, and a genetic cousin of Nebbiolo. No wonder it has such attractive aromas!

Viognier may have originated in Croatia, then brought to the Rhone area of France by Romans as early as is 281 AD. Or it may have traveled on the Rhone River with Syrah headed to Beaujolais, and then was captured near Condrieu. While once common, in 1965, it almost went extinct, but today the Rhône has over 740 acres (299.5 hectares).

Known as a textural white wine defined by highly perfumed aromas, Viognier originated in the appellation of Condrieu in southern France, but it is found in many other parts of the world. Often a small amount of Viognier is blended in with syrah to lift the aromas and flavors.

While it can be heavy and oily, in the hands of the right winemaker it is lively yet full bodied on the palate. These two viognier are made in Ventura county from area grapes. The Ojai Vineyard viognier is grown on Roll Ranch in upper Ojai while the Wildflower Winery viognier grapes come from Santa Ynez.
 
Viognier is a very food friendly wine with body an aromatics for days offering a worthy alternative to the more typical Chardonnay. Food friendly viognier can go well with seafood even oysters and richer menus like roast duck. Give it a go!
 

Wines

  • 2022 Wildflower Winery “A Little Something” Viognier

  • 2021 (and 2022!) The Ojai Vineyard Viognier Roll Ranch, Ventura County

Menu

  • cheese board
  • oysters
  • rotisserie duck
  • vegetables roasted in duck fat 

2022 Wildflower Winery “A Little Something” Viognier

2022 Wildflower Winery “A Little Something” Viognier

ABV: 12%
SRP: $26
Grapes: 100% Viognier
tasting room sample for my review

Brick Barn Santa Ynez “This is my oyster wine, my fish wine,”  Natalie stated, grapes picked early on a cool climate site giving it plenty of acidity. ” I don’t really want to call it Viognier!” Pressed whole cluster, no skin contact.

Appearance:  Platinum pale yellow with a green tinge

Aroma: Mineral nose, moss, creekside, river moss, geranium, there is a warmth, ginger, cardamon

Palate: White tea, white peach, lots of salinity, cardamon, so nice with the DeLice cheese on our cranberry crackers

Pairing: Kumamoto Oysters are so fantastic with this wine, both the wine and the food have this wonderful salinity and lovely stone fruit there is a same sameness with both the food and wine, fabulous across the board with our cheese board, great with the mushroom brie on the cranberry cracker, fabulous with the creamy delice.

2021 The Ojai Vineyard Viognier Roll Ranch, Ventura County

2021 The Ojai Vineyard Viognier Roll Ranch, Ventura County

ABV: 13.5%
SRP:
Grapes: Viognier
154 cases 
wine club purchase

Appearance:  Pale lemon, very clear, golden rim

Aroma: Grass, honeysuckle, chaparral,

Palate: Honeysuckle, jasmine, white peach, nectarine, tangerine minerality, grass, nicely round, fennel pollen,

Pairing: Very nice with the Delice cheese on the cranberry cracker bringing out lovely fruit in both the cheese and the wine, then the cheese leaves a caramel finish in the mouth, very nice with the aged sheep milk cheese in olive oil, loves the salinity of the Roquefort, both the wine and the cheese become more interesting when paired together, the intensity and flavor of the wine, brings out intense flavors in the food. 

 

 

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