Cline Viognier 2010 (California)

This is a great little white wine and affordable as well and any great wine that is affordable gets an A plus in my book. I came across this wine via Internet while searching for some great wines I had not tried yet. If only I could try every wine, I suppose that would be a full time job!

This wine is a nice straw color yellow on the pour. The aroma of pear, apricot and orange blossom jump at your nose with a hint of honeysuckle. On the Palate this wine is juicy with a kick of spice, dry white, medium to light bodied. I drank the entire bottle and purchased another. Pairs well with Sushi.

What is Viognier you ask? Good question and I like to explain it as being in between a Pinot Gri, perhaps Sauvignon Blanc and a Chardonnay. Viognier is not as crisp and clean as a Pinot Gri or Sauvignon Blanc but not as buttery or heavy as a Chardonnay.

Unlike most grapes the origin of Viognier is un-known, leaving a bit of mystery. Presumed to be an ancient grape, possibly from Dalmatia (Croatia) and brought to the Rhone Valley in France by the Romans. Ahh the history of it all. The  origin of the name Viognier is also obscure. Vienna, which was a major Roman outpost or perhaps Gehennae, meaning the "Vally of Hell". Probably referring to the difficulty of growing the grape. Viognier was once fairly common. Now it is a rare white grape grown almost exclusively in the northern Rhone Region of France. In 1965, the grape was almost extinct but popularity and price of the wine has risen and the number of plantings has increased in France as well as California.