Lange Twins Viognier 2008
My mission this year is to help you discover new and fun wines to try, as well as continuing to make wine less intimidating, more approachable, and ultimately, more enjoyable! You’ve given me some great feedback on the first post of 2010, where I introduced some of you to Albarino and Carmenere. Today, we take a trip to Clarksburg, CA and talk about a white wine from Lange Twins, their 2008 Viognier.
I wanted to talk about Viognier, because it’s such an interesting grape. It’s very difficult to grow, and “legend has it drawing it’s name from the Roman pronunciation of the via Gehennae, meaning the “road to Hell”*. While, honestly, the palate (taste) of Viognier doesn’t wow me every time, I absolutely love the floral bouquet (scent), which makes it a wine I do enjoy from time to time. However, that difficulty in growing the grape well can be seen in various bottles, where if the grape is picked too late, the wine is oily and lacks that floral bouquet. I was all set to run out to the store to find some Viognier to discuss, when I found this sample I was given from Lange Twins back in August of 2009.
Enjoy the video where I discuss in a bit more detail Lange Twins Winery and their Viognier. It’s not a sweet wine, but it’s not terribly dry either. I preferred the palate after the wine had been open for a few minutes, where it showed a bit more pear and pineapple than any stone fruit (peaches or nectarines). It paired really well with the Fettucini Alfredo and shrimp, and was a good food and wine pairing to keep in mind. I would love to serve this, or another Viognier, during summer, having some nice cheeses laid out, and just have a good time with wine.
The video mentions the sustainable farming practices of Lange Twins Winery and Vineyards, as well. While they aren’t certified organic, the strict guidelines they follow to be certified Lodi Rules Sustainable Wine Growing are as strict or more so than organic certification, from what I understand. If you want to learn a bit about other Lange Twins wines, I’ve reviewed their Petit Verdot/Petit Sirah blend.
Let me know if you’ve had Viognier. And if not, watch the video, and then let me know if you try one! Cheers!