The Viognier grape has quite an unusual history. About forty years ago it was limited to some 35 acres (14 hectares) in the Rhone Valley of southeastern France. These few acres included the grapes that were transformed into Condrieu, considered the best white in the Rhone Valley. Now Viognier has become an up and coming white variety found in many countries including the United States, especially California, and in Australia. If you are tired of Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs (or even if you aren’t) you may want to try a Viognier such as this one. And next time you are in the mood for a Chilean red look for Colchagua Valley on the label. We will do so ourselves but won’t be surprised if we can’t find any in the $10 and less category.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price. Wine Reviewed Cono Sur Viognier 2008 13.7% alcohol about $8

Let’s start with the marketing materials. Tasting Note: Pale gold color; tropical fruit aromas with melon, peach and orange blossom notes; dry, medium bodied, with great acidity and flavors of grapefruit, peach, green apple and pineapple; good length on the finish. Serving Suggestion: Serve with stir-fry or wok-sautéed white meats, vegetables and creamy poultry dishes. And now for my review.

I started by sipping this wine alone. I got the characteristic honeysuckle. It was long and slightly sweet with pleasant acidity. The first meal included a purchased barbecued chicken leg with the paprika-dusted skin on. The sides were a slightly sweet noodle pudding and a white bean and grilled red pepper combo. With the chicken the flavor went from honeysuckle to honey. This Viognier was persistent with a note of lemon peel. I tasted lemon and orange when it was paired with the noodle pudding. But the bean and red pepper combo stole some of the wine’s fruit. Talking about fruit, I finished the glass with some orange fruit juice candy. At first I thought the pairing wasn’t very good, but I changed my mind. The wine displayed bright acidity and was almost feathery.

The second meal involved a middle-eastern dish called Kube (or Kibbe), ground beef in crushed wheat jacket slow cooked in a peppery tomato sauce. Once again I tasted honeysuckle (the dominant flavor of most Viogniers), citrus, and honey notes. I liked its sweetness. With seconds the acidity became softer.

The final meal was an omelet with sides of grilled eggplant and a grilled artichoke dip. When facing the omelet the Viognier was slightly sweet with lingering acidity. I can’t say that the wine and omelet really meshed, but an omelet isn’t much to mesh with. The artichoke dip intensified the acidity and the eggplant intensified the fruit.

Now for the cheeses. With a Brick cheese the wine became weaker. The Havarti was a better match. Even though this cheese was stronger tasting than the Brick, the wine remained fruity – go figure.

Final verdict. If you are in the market for a different white wine at a low, low price this is a good one. Because I am not very partial to Viogniers I probably won’t be buying this one again in the near future. And at $40 or much more, it may be a long time before I review a Condrieu in my French fine wine column.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but frankly prefers drinking fine German or other wine, accompanied by the right foods and the right people. He teaches computer classes at an Ontario French-language community college. Check out his wine website http://www.theworldwidewine.com with a weekly column reviewing $10 wines and new sections writing about (theory) and tasting (practice) organic and kosher wines.

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This wine grape probably originated centuries ago in Damatia. Roman history says it was brought to history in 281 A.D. by the Empower Probus. Many people believe that it is named after the city of Vienne which was a military outpost for the Romans. It also sounds like the Roman phrase that means “the road to Hell.”

This might allude to the intoxicating effects of drinking the wine or it might be a reference to the fact that this grape is quite hard to grow. In fact due to a lack of attendance to the vineyards during World War II the Voignier grape vine almost became extinct, along with other grapes, such as Tocai (http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/Tocai/).

This grape is now grown only exclusively in the Northern Rhone area which grows mostly red wine grapes. There is a low production every year of only 1900 liters of wine. This is because it is vulnerable to powdery yields. The timing of the picking of the grape must be very precise. When picked too late in the season the grape can produce a thick oily wine without any pleasurable aroma. It is a very fussy grape that prefers the Mediterranean climate.

Another factor that affects the quality of the wine is the age of the grape plant. The vines don’t produce great wine until they are least fifteen years old. In the Rhone area of France vines exist that are over seventy years old. Ideally this grape will produce a wine that is thirteen percent alcohol. The best wine will have a deep yellow color. It prefers warm environments and long growing season.

Even though it does not take to every climate it has migrated successfully to California and Virginal in the United States. Virginia’s Monticello wine growing region is perfect for growing this type of grape. The grape is also grown in South Africa, New Zealand, and Japan.

In France, Viognier is grown as a single grape variety on the west bank of the Rhône River. This particular grape is also frequently blended with other varietal wines such as Roussanne (http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/Roussanne/), Grenache, Rolle and Marsanne. To make Beaujolais the wine can contain up to twenty percent of Viognier instead of five percent. One reason that Viogniers are added to wine blends is because it helps stabilize the red pigments in the wines so that the wine stays red.

Plantings of these vines have really grown in North America since the eighties. The California coast produces over two thousand acres of this grape. It can also be found in Colorado, New York, Washington and Virgina as well as the Niagara region and British Columbia province in Canada. It is also grown as a varietal grape in Chilean Argentina.

This grape is big in Australia and added to many Shiraz blends. Famous areas that grow the Viognier (http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/Viognier/) plantings include Murray River, Rutherglen, Nagambie Lakes, Cangerrie and Tenter.

The Viognier is prized because it is a floral wine. It must be consumed young as it does not age well. It becomes flat and scentless if aged. Don’t drink Viognier single varieties that are more than three years old. This wine is predominately very dry although dessert wines are also sometimes created by it.

This is quite an oily wine if it is made from the juice of the skins so some producers of this wine make sure the skins are removed. To increase its alkalinity it is sometimes stirred using a process called batonnage. This strongly perfumed wine pairs well with spicy cuisines like Thai and Chinese. It also matches well with sushi and strong French cheeses.

Dessert wines are created from Viognier grapes that are picked in October or early November. The grape is fragile so the grapes are shaken off the vine to avoid bruising while harvesting. Many wine experts say that this wine peaks at one year of age.

Sarah Martin is a freelance marketing writer based out of San Diego, CA. She specializes in international cuisines and fine wine varietals, such as Tocai and Viognier. For more great varietals, please visit http://www.wineaccess.com/.

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White wines make fine beverages for more casual meals. This is because of their quality of being more revitalizing and less heavy in one’s mouth than most red wines. Traditionally, white wines are paired with light dishes like cheeses and fish and consumed at temperatures of around 45 to 50 degrees F, which is relatively chilly. Because white wines are relatively light, they achieve fuller potential from being drunk in thinner glasses.

White wines also come from plenty of different regions across the globe, each of which has created its own original blends of wines. Chardonnay is one of the most popular types of wine grapes, cultivated plentifully in most wine-making regions. Chardonnay white wines are fairly rich and sport medium to high levels of acidity. Chenin Blanc, which hails from the Loire Valley of France, can also be discovered in many areas of California. Chenin Blanc white wines have higher than average acidity, and are generally flavored with hints of fruit. Gerwurztraminer may be hard to pronounce, but turns into a delightful wine from frostier climates. The name literally means "spicy", which is an apt adjective to explain this wine’s sharp acidity and potent taste. Pinot Grigio is Italy’s most renowned white wine, also harvested in France, and called Pinot Gris when grown in the United States. Riesling is a fantastic wine from Germany that has developed an undeservedly bad reputation because of the spreading of lackluster wines being presented as Rieslings.

White wine may be daunting at the beginning, but hopefully this knowledge will clear up some of the confusion and lead to your enjoyment of various whites.

For more articles, tips, help and advice about buying White wines in the UK, please visit… http://www.winebuyersuk.com/category/white-wine/

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OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Montalto Nero d’Avola Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007 14% alcohol about $8

Let’s start with the marketing materials. Tasting Note: Deep red violet color; dark fruit and spice aromas and flavors; dry, medium to full bodied, long, smooth finish. Serving Suggestion: Roast lamb or beef, meat pastas, and grilled meats. And now for my review.

At the initial tasting the wine was thin but long with moderate acidity and a touch of oak. The initial meal involved homemade shepherd’s pie. There was dark fruit. The red blend washed the food down pleasantly. It was robust. Simple food, simple wine. Not that there’s anything wrong with it. I added some Turkish Harissa, a hot pepper sauce and the wine followed, picking up some spiciness.

The second meal included meat balls and recooked steak, slow cooked with potatoes. The Nero d’Avola/Cabernet Sauvignon was now powerful; it definitely packed a punch. I could taste the oak. The length was good.

The final meal was a middle-eastern specialty, kube, also called kibbe, ground meat in jackets made from ground bulgar, in a spicy tomato sauce. It was strange, at the first sip the wine was thin, almost watered. But as I drank more the power built. I noticed some oak and tasted dark fruit with moderate acidity.

I finished the tasting with two cheeses. The first cheese was a provolone. The wine was balanced with good tannins and moderate acidity. But it was short. A marbled cheddar cheese flattened the wine somewhat. After the cheese the fruit came back.

Final verdict. If you feel like washing down simple meals with a simple wine this is an option. But I prefer to keep looking.

Over the years Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but really prefers drinking fine German wine, along with friends and the right foods. He teaches sundry computer classes at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his global wine website http://www.theworldwidewine.com with a weekly column reviewing $10 wines and new sections writing about (theory) and tasting (practice) organic and kosher wines.

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Red wine comes in different flavors some of which are listed here:
Cherry, Plum, Blackberry, Raspberry, Currant, Raisin, Fig, Pepper, Clove, Cinnamon, Coffee, Cocoa, Mocha, Tobacco, Leather, etc.

Types of red wine
The type of Red wine depends on the area in which it is produced and the type of grape used for extracting the wine.

Syrah:
Syrah, also called as Shiraz, is mostly served with meat, beef or pastas. They are mostly dark colored wines. Syrah is widely cultivated in the regions of France, Australia, and California. One of the main ingredients of syrah is aroma which is very good for health.

Merlot:
Merlot, a red wine, is known for its light color and soft taste. It can be served with any kind of food. It is a very light drink and is not strong at all. Merlot is cultivated in countries like Romania, Chile, Washington, Italy and Australia. They are also present in herbal and medicinal form.

Cabernet sauvignon:
Cabernet sauvignon is produced from oak. This red wine is beneficial in preventing cardiovascular problems and also cancer because of its medicinal properties.

Pinot noir:
Pinot noir is rarely found because it is difficult to grow. This red wine plant is cultivated in countries like New Zealand, USA, Oregon and many other valleys.
This red wine is best suited with meat and lamb.

Zinfandel:
Zinfandel is the native wine of California because it is produced only in California. This is very hot and spicy in taste and goes well with meat, pizzas, and pastas.

Sangiovese:
Sangiovese goes well with Italian dishes and is available in valley areas.

Barbera:
Barbera is available only in USA.

Wine and Health
Consumption of wine to a limited extent may be beneficial to ones health. It removes bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol while reducing blood clotting, which is used to prevent a number of heart diseases and leukemia, because it acts as an antioxidant. They are used to prevent Parkinsons disease because of presence of resveratrol in the wine. Red wine contains higher amount of flavonoids which is very useful. Melatonin present in red wine is used to cure a number of skin diseases. Over consumption of wine may lead to many health problems like:
1) Red wine headache (RWD) – It is a disease caused due to excessive consumption of red wine, which may further lead to nausea.
2) Consumption of red wine is hazardous during pregnancy. It also increases the chances of breast cancer.
3) Brain migraines
4) Diabetes
Hence, moderation is highly recommended for the consumption of red wine.

James Copper is a writer for http://www.cecwine.co.uk where you can find out about red wine

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