Summer in a Glass – Maryhill Viognier

We tasted this wine with a virtual group via #maryhilltaste on Twitter. It was a crowd pleaser. When we were in our 20’s and too broke to go on vacation we had a staycation that involved swimsuits, the local Mexican restaurant’s outdoor seating, and large margaritas. Shame we didn’t have this Viognier then.  It would have been a great choice for our festivities and we could have afforded it at ~$16.

We are not huge fans of sweeter wines. They are often out of balance and seem flabby because of lack of acidity.  Not the case with this Viognier.

The Viognier grape, classic to the Rhone region in France, is known for a few things:

1. Super Aromatics. Perfume, fruit, and floral aromas leap from the glass.

2.  Full Body They will be really thick on the palate, close to the weight of “half and half” creamer and they make wines high in alcohol.

3. Elusive Acidity. There is a small harvest window when Viognier grapes have a balance of sugars and acid. Miss the window and risk a flabby wine.

Kudos to winemaker Richard Batchelor for delivering aroma, body, and a balanced acidity that keeps the wine refreshing enough for a warm day.  This wine is definitely feminine. Think of her as a Southern Lady. She is warm, perfumed,  and voluptuous with an unexpected acidic bite. She is also a bit dangerous. Alcohol is over 14% and hides behind those flowers –  so watch out.

Don’t mistake this for a dessert wine. We suggest pairing with coconut shrimp, crab cakes, chicken or pork with a fruit chutney. See tips for pairing sweet wines and pairing by weight for more insights.

We also suggest pairing Maryhill 2012 Viognier with a lounge chair, umbrella and a glass. Like any Southern Belle her company may best be enjoyed on the veranda.

Maryhill Winery is located in Washington State in the Columbia Valley and overlooking the beautiful Columbia Gorge.  Their wines are available through their website and are fairly widely distributed. Look for them at Fred Meyers,  Albertsons, HEB, or with your local wine retailer.Wine samples were provided by the winery and enjoyed by the wine writer.