Update 6/24: Taking requests for the waitlist
Viognier Production Tasting
Saturday, June 27 at 3:00 p.m. here at the winery
Viognier is a variety that almost fell into extinction only 40 years ago. Its native home is France, at the northern end of the Rhone Valley called Condrieu. It began to be planted in other areas of the world in the 1980s, particularly in California, but also in Virginia at Horton Vineyards. While its native climate is hot and dry, its loose cluster and thick skin make this variety suitable to Virginia’s summer humidity. While Viognier is fast becoming “Virginia’s white wine,” it is only the state’s 3rd most-planted white-grape variety, behind Chardonnay and Vidal Blanc.
Jancis Robinson, the famous UK wine writer, has written a very thorough review of this variety on her website, which you can view by clicking here.
Here’s the lineup:
- 2007 Du Mol, Lia (California / Sonoma / Russian River Valley)
- 2007 Alban Vineyards (California / Central Coast)
- 2007 Alban Vineyards (California / Central Coast / Edna Valley)
- 2007 Novy Family Wines (California / Sonoma / Russian River Valley)
- 2005 Chateau Grillet (France / Rhone / Condrieu / Chateau-Grillet)
- 2007 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane (France / Rhone / Condrieu)
- 2008 Le Paradou (France / Vin de Pays Vignobles de France)
- 2008 Cinquante Cinq (France / Vin de Pays D’oc (Languedoc)
- 2007 Rappahannock Cellars (Virginia)
- 2008 Rappahannock Cellars (Virginia) not yet released
Limited to 10 people. Cost is $55.00 per person and is charged to your credit card prior to the event. Two-ounce pour per wine. This is a blind tasting and the producers will be announced after all the wines have been tasted. Chateau-Grillet is both the name of the producer and the name of the appellation, a condition known as “monopole” in the French appellation system.
RSVP to me (Jason) directly at jburrus@rappahannockcellars.com
-Jason
Vintner of Rappahannock Cellars
