Napa Valley Wine Radio

Question from Johanna: I’ve got a bottle of your 2005 Viognier and I was wondering what would be a good food pairing.  What kind of menu or food items do your recommend to accompany it? Thanks!

Answer: Hi, Johanna! Thanks for writing!  The beauty of the Viognier is that it’s absolutely delicious all by itself, but it’s also a great partner for a variety of foods.

The classic combination is to pair the lively fruitiness of the wine with spicy Asian and Indian cuisine as a refreshing counterpoint.

It’s wonderful with sweet proteins like pork, duck or shellfish–the fruit in the wine complements the sweetness of the meat and the crisp finish cleanses the palate for the next bite.  If you use fruit in the preparation, like combining chicken with oranges or tropical fruit it makes a connection with the wine and, of course, the oldest trick in the book is to use the wine in the sauce to seal the match.

I know it’s great with sushi because we had a sushi party here at the winery and we had to keep opening more and more Viognier!  Everyone loved it!

You might enjoy looking at Colleen’s recipe collection on our website.  She tests all the recipes personally and you can search for recipes by wine-variety, so you can go straight to her recipes for Viognier!

I’m glad you’re making plans to drink it.  It’s a lovely wine that’s at its most fruity and vibrant in its youth, so set a date and enjoy!!!

If any of you foodies out there have a good suggestion for Johanna, I’m sure she’d love to hear it!

Whatever it is, enjoy the meal! Cheers!  Nancy