Good morning all,

I’m a day late, but here’s my Wine of the Week,

Simon’s Wine of the Week is Waddesdon Rothschild Collection Viognier 

We’ve nearly made it to spring, and I’m certainly looking forward to a bit more warmth and sunshine. So, what better time for me to extol the virtues of possibly my favourite early spring wine, Viognier.

I’ve featured a Viognier as a Wine of the Week before, with Blue Horn’s fantastic example from Argentina. This week’s WOTW is from the grape’s homeland of France and is quite a different beast from that South American example.

Viognier’s birthplace is in the warmer climes of Southern France, with the Rhone Valley making its finest examples. It loves a bit of warm weather and thrives in the sun of these parts.

What I love about a good Viognier, and why I think it makes such a good wine for Spring, is its richness and body. Imagine yourself on a veranda somewhere. It’s been a beautiful, sunny Spring day, and the sun is beginning to dip below the horizon. You’ve been drinking a fresh and delightful Sauvignon, or a super crisp Rosé, but you notice there’s a little chill creeping into the air as the sky begins to slowly darken. You don’t want to keep drinking a super-chilled light white, but you don’t want to move onto the red. Step forward Viognier; its full-bodied, slightly textural, peachy delights are the perfect thing for the time of year. The richness always makes me think that it’s the white wine for red wine drinkers.

The Waddesdon Viognier is a thing of beauty. It’s got that classic, fleshy, peachy, apricot thing on the nose that all good Viognier have, but it’s not too full-on (some Viognier can get really flowery and cloying, this is not one of them). The palate is awesome. My tasting notes read, ‘quite full on the palate, peachy, oily, really juicy, lemon zest, really intense and delicious.’ How can you resist that?

Viognier is great with roasted chicken, the oiliness of the wine perfect for the fattiness of the dish. I’ve also got a bit of a soft spot for Viognier with crab or lobster. Finally, I’d heartily recommend it with Indian food, and it should be on any decent list.

Have a great week,
Simon