April 20th

Manic-depressive, bi-polar, love-hate.

Viognier is a white grape native to the Rhone Valley of France. For the last 20 years or so, the wine press has been pushing this grape as the next "hot" white wine. It hasn't happened. This is good.

I hate the grape. I have a hard time finding a food for it. My first experience with it was in France about 20 years ago when it was first being touted. I wanted to be on the cutting edge. One night in the Rhone I went to a very fancy restaurant and asked the sommelier about Viognier. He told me it needed to be drunk young and was wonderful with well-seasoned seafood. I spent the money, I didn't get the wine. Next night I went to another very fancy restaurant and asked that sommelier about Viognier. He told me it needed to be drunk after it was ten years old and was wonderful with garlicky poultry dishes. I spent more money, I didn't get it.

I love the Pierano Estate 2007 Viognier from Lodi, California for $12.99 a bottle. It has fascinating aromas of pineapple and tropical flowers in a rich dry white wine. I still don't know what food works with it, but this one is so delicious, I don't need food to enjoy it. Chill it up and serve it to friends in the back yard. After you mowed the lawn