维
欧尼(Viognier)不是一种让人一见倾心的葡萄酒。事实上，就在不久前，维欧尼葡萄还只出现在法国罗讷河谷(Rhone)北部小村庄孔德里欧(Condrieu)的果园里，作为果树之间的隔离带。在那个地方，Andre Perret等酒庄出产的维欧尼葡萄甘甜肥美，拥有甜杏、水蜜桃和夏花那样的迷人香气。相关报导
维欧尼葡萄酒在酒杯中呈淡金黄色，质地柔软丰满，酸度低，有一种浓郁的花香。嗅感往往使人联想起甜杏、蜜桃、忍冬，盛开的花朵和玫瑰花瓣，甚至让人误以为这是一款甜酒。实际上它是一款干型葡萄酒，入口后令味蕾为之雀跃，并留下悠长而愉悦的矿物质余味。
产自孔德里欧的维欧尼葡萄酒可以长时间存放，在此过程中继续熟成，风味更佳。我一直认为，像Paul Jaboulet这样的酒庄出品的维欧尼值得收藏到自家酒窖中，不但好喝，而且保值。在孔德里欧之外其他地方出产的维欧尼就没有那么好的储藏潜力了，我的建议是，趁酒还年轻就把它喝了，别让维欧尼独有的香气被岁月掩埋掉。
酿酒商说，维欧尼不容易栽培，酿造的口感也不好掌握，需要充足的阳光，很容易受到真菌病害白粉病的侵袭，从而毁坏葡萄的芳香气息，闻起来有点霉变的味道。
尽管如此，近年来维欧尼这个品种开始受到了青睐。国际葡萄酒和食品协会(The International Wine and Food Society)是葡萄酒的权威机构，由大美食家及历史学家安德利•西蒙(Andre Simon)于1933年创立。前几天，我跟协会现任主席克里斯•波恩塞尔(Chris Bonsall)共进午餐，波恩塞尔告诉我，他最近喜欢上了澳洲产的维欧尼葡萄酒，他向我推荐南澳塔奴丹酒庄(Tanunda)出品的2005年Haan维欧尼珍酿（Haan Prestige Viognier）。他还提到，维欧尼这个品种正在澳洲悄然兴起，虽然不如孔德里欧的维欧尼葡萄酒那么有储藏潜力，但其果香和特色足以弥补这一不足。在好奇心的驱使下，我打算去发掘一些澳洲的维欧尼，结果发现不只是澳洲在出产这个品种，还有南非，阿根廷的门多萨河谷(Mendoza)，以及智利全境。加州Qupe酒庄的鲍勃•林德基斯特（Bob Lindquist）将其与霞多丽酒调配在一起，能产生一些特殊的口感。我还尝了维欧尼与雷司令(Riesling)的调配酒，非常地带劲儿。我还特意给自己安排了一个迷你品酒会，看看这些地方酿制的维欧尼葡萄酒跟罗讷河谷北部乡村的酒到底有什么区别。
让我大吃一惊的是，这几款葡萄酒都有各自鲜明的特点。它们与雷司令甚至是麝香葡萄(Muscat)很像，都有独一无二的口感。正如我此前描述过的一样，它们芳香扑鼻，无疑都是适合夏季饮用的酒，最适合与清爽的色拉、冷盘、清淡的海鲜或亚系菜肴搭配。就个人而言，我最喜欢用维欧尼葡萄酒配口味清淡一点的咖喱菜、寿司以及一些特定的奶酪餐点，比如涂了热卡门贝尔(Camembert)奶酪的大块面包。
产自智利兰佩谷安纳根纳酒庄(Anakena)的维欧尼葡萄酒凭借其浓郁果香脱颍而出。安纳根纳酒庄进入国际葡萄酒圈子的时间并不长，它由智利企业家菲利普•伊班内(Felipe Ibanez)与“智利之酒”协会（Wines of Chile）前会长乔治•古铁雷斯共同创办，1999年开始栽培葡萄，2001年出品第一批葡萄酒。2005年，我访问了坐落在安第斯山麓的安纳根纳酒庄，发现其酿造工艺十分现代化，不但配备了新建酿酒厂里应有的一切，如不锈钢发酵罐等，而且当时的酿酒师贡萨洛•佩雷斯（Gonzalo Perez）还会分析土壤样本，通过卫星获取气候信息，他们据此判断哪类土壤最适合种植哪类葡萄。安纳根纳同罗讷河谷北部相比还是有很大差距的，在罗讷河谷，人们培育白歌海娜(Grenache Blanc)•马珊(Marsanne)和侯尔(Rolle)等白葡萄酒品种已经有几个世纪的历史了。
Will Lyons
酿酒商说，维欧尼不容易栽培，酿造的口感也不好掌握，需要充足的阳光，很容易受到真菌病害白粉病的侵袭，从而毁坏葡萄的芳香气息，闻起来有点霉变的味道。
尽管如此，近年来维欧尼这个品种开始受到了青睐。国际葡萄酒和食品协会(The International Wine and Food Society)是葡萄酒的权威机构，由大美食家及历史学家安德利•西蒙(Andre Simon)于1933年创立。前几天，我跟协会现任主席克里斯•波恩塞尔(Chris Bonsall)共进午餐，波恩塞尔告诉我，他最近喜欢上了澳洲产的维欧尼葡萄酒，他向我推荐南澳塔奴丹酒庄(Tanunda)出品的2005年Haan维欧尼珍酿（Haan Prestige Viognier）。他还提到，维欧尼这个品种正在澳洲悄然兴起，虽然不如孔德里欧的维欧尼葡萄酒那么有储藏潜力，但其果香和特色足以弥补这一不足。在好奇心的驱使下，我打算去发掘一些澳洲的维欧尼，结果发现不只是澳洲在出产这个品种，还有南非，阿根廷的门多萨河谷(Mendoza)，以及智利全境。加州Qupe酒庄的鲍勃•林德基斯特（Bob Lindquist）将其与霞多丽酒调配在一起，能产生一些特殊的口感。我还尝了维欧尼与雷司令(Riesling)的调配酒，非常地带劲儿。我还特意给自己安排了一个迷你品酒会，看看这些地方酿制的维欧尼葡萄酒跟罗讷河谷北部乡村的酒到底有什么区别。
让我大吃一惊的是，这几款葡萄酒都有各自鲜明的特点。它们与雷司令甚至是麝香葡萄(Muscat)很像，都有独一无二的口感。正如我此前描述过的一样，它们芳香扑鼻，无疑都是适合夏季饮用的酒，最适合与清爽的色拉、冷盘、清淡的海鲜或亚系菜肴搭配。就个人而言，我最喜欢用维欧尼葡萄酒配口味清淡一点的咖喱菜、寿司以及一些特定的奶酪餐点，比如涂了热卡门贝尔(Camembert)奶酪的大块面包。
产自智利兰佩谷安纳根纳酒庄(Anakena)的维欧尼葡萄酒凭借其浓郁果香脱颍而出。安纳根纳酒庄进入国际葡萄酒圈子的时间并不长，它由智利企业家菲利普•伊班内(Felipe Ibanez)与“智利之酒”协会（Wines of Chile）前会长乔治•古铁雷斯共同创办，1999年开始栽培葡萄，2001年出品第一批葡萄酒。2005年，我访问了坐落在安第斯山麓的安纳根纳酒庄，发现其酿造工艺十分现代化，不但配备了新建酿酒厂里应有的一切，如不锈钢发酵罐等，而且当时的酿酒师贡萨洛•佩雷斯（Gonzalo Perez）还会分析土壤样本，通过卫星获取气候信息，他们据此判断哪类土壤最适合种植哪类葡萄。安纳根纳同罗讷河谷北部相比还是有很大差距的，在罗讷河谷，人们培育白歌海娜(Grenache Blanc)•马珊(Marsanne)和侯尔(Rolle)等白葡萄酒品种已经有几个世纪的历史了。
Will Lyons
Viognier isn't a grape variety with immediate appeal. Indeed, it wasn't long ago that its presence was limited to the odd row of vines planted amid the fruit trees of Condrieu, the northern Rhone village that is perhaps its most famous appellation. There, growers such as Andre Perret produce plump and fat examples bursting with flavors of ripe apricots, peaches and summer flowers.
But scarcity isn't the only factor in its limited appeal. Its taste profile, while on the one hand able to offer excitement and intrigue for the connoisseur wishing to broaden his palate, can on the other hand provide something of a shock for the uninitiated used to the familiar flavors of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Pale-gold colored in the glass, it provides a chewy, mouth-filling texture low in acidity, combined with a heady, floral aroma. The nose, often exhibiting notes of apricots, peaches, honeysuckle, blossom and rose petals, can deceive as being that of a sweet wine. Yet Viognier is dry and once swallowed, leaves the palate refreshed with a long, savory, mineral aftertaste.
In Condrieu, the Viogniers enjoy a long aging potential and I have always thought they provide a useful, and, in the case of growers such as Paul Jaboulet, good-value addition to a cellar. Outside of Condrieu, they don't tend to age as well and, as a rule of thumb, it's advisable to drink them when young, before their distinctive aroma loses some of its punch.
The grape, as well as being an acquired taste, also is quite tricky to grow, winemakers say. It needs plenty of sun and is also susceptible to the fungal disease powdery mildew that can destroy the aroma compounds in grapes and leave them smelling slightly of mould.
Despite this, the grape variety has been undergoing something of a resurgence in recent years. I was reminded of this during a recent lunch with Chris Bonsall, current chairman of The International Wine and Food Society, the august institution founded in 1933 by the great gourmet and historian Andre Simon. Mr. Bonsall informed me that he had recently been enjoying Australian Viognier. His recommendation was Haan Prestige Viognier 2005 from Tanunda in South Australia. Moreover, he added that the grape variety was experiencing something of a revival in Australia, where the wines didn't have the aging potential of Condrieu but more than made up for it in fruit and character. Intrigued, I made a note to unearth some Australian Viognier, only to find out that it wasn't just Australia that is planting Viognier. A quick search led me to examples in South Africa, the Mendoza valley in Argentina and throughout Chile. In California, Bob Lindquist at Qupe blends it with Chardonnay to some effect. I have also tasted it blended with Riesling, which gives it a zesty kick. So I organized a mini tasting to see how it compares with those grown in the northern Rhone.
What immediately struck me was the overwhelming distinctiveness of these wines. Rather like Riesling or, indeed, Muscat they provide a unique taste. Undoubtedly summer wines, given the floral notes I have described earlier, they are perhaps best paired with lighter salads, cold, lightly flavored seafood or dishes with an Asian influence. My personal favorite would be Viognier paired with lightly flavored curries, sushi and certain cheeses such as warmed Camembert spread on a hunk of bread.
One Viognier that stood out for its immediate, fruit-forward appeal was Anakena's Viognier from the Rapel Valley in Chile. Anakena is a relative newcomer to the international wine scene. The winery is the brainchild of Chilean entrepreneur Felipe Ibanez and former Wines of Chile President Jorge Gutierrez. Its first vintage was in 2001 after the vines were planted in 1999. I visited the winery, which sits in the foothills of the Andes in 2005 and found it to be winemaking on a very modern scale. Not only was it kitted out with everything one would expect in a brand new winery such as stainless fermentation tanks, but back then winemaker Gonzalo Perez also was analyzing soil types and climatic readings obtained from satellites. They used this information to decide which vines were best matched to which soil types. It seemed a long way from the villages of the northern Rhone, where white grape varieties such as Grenache Blanc, Marsanne and Rolle have been cultivated for centuries.
Will Lyons
But scarcity isn't the only factor in its limited appeal. Its taste profile, while on the one hand able to offer excitement and intrigue for the connoisseur wishing to broaden his palate, can on the other hand provide something of a shock for the uninitiated used to the familiar flavors of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Pale-gold colored in the glass, it provides a chewy, mouth-filling texture low in acidity, combined with a heady, floral aroma. The nose, often exhibiting notes of apricots, peaches, honeysuckle, blossom and rose petals, can deceive as being that of a sweet wine. Yet Viognier is dry and once swallowed, leaves the palate refreshed with a long, savory, mineral aftertaste.
In Condrieu, the Viogniers enjoy a long aging potential and I have always thought they provide a useful, and, in the case of growers such as Paul Jaboulet, good-value addition to a cellar. Outside of Condrieu, they don't tend to age as well and, as a rule of thumb, it's advisable to drink them when young, before their distinctive aroma loses some of its punch.
The grape, as well as being an acquired taste, also is quite tricky to grow, winemakers say. It needs plenty of sun and is also susceptible to the fungal disease powdery mildew that can destroy the aroma compounds in grapes and leave them smelling slightly of mould.
Despite this, the grape variety has been undergoing something of a resurgence in recent years. I was reminded of this during a recent lunch with Chris Bonsall, current chairman of The International Wine and Food Society, the august institution founded in 1933 by the great gourmet and historian Andre Simon. Mr. Bonsall informed me that he had recently been enjoying Australian Viognier. His recommendation was Haan Prestige Viognier 2005 from Tanunda in South Australia. Moreover, he added that the grape variety was experiencing something of a revival in Australia, where the wines didn't have the aging potential of Condrieu but more than made up for it in fruit and character. Intrigued, I made a note to unearth some Australian Viognier, only to find out that it wasn't just Australia that is planting Viognier. A quick search led me to examples in South Africa, the Mendoza valley in Argentina and throughout Chile. In California, Bob Lindquist at Qupe blends it with Chardonnay to some effect. I have also tasted it blended with Riesling, which gives it a zesty kick. So I organized a mini tasting to see how it compares with those grown in the northern Rhone.
What immediately struck me was the overwhelming distinctiveness of these wines. Rather like Riesling or, indeed, Muscat they provide a unique taste. Undoubtedly summer wines, given the floral notes I have described earlier, they are perhaps best paired with lighter salads, cold, lightly flavored seafood or dishes with an Asian influence. My personal favorite would be Viognier paired with lightly flavored curries, sushi and certain cheeses such as warmed Camembert spread on a hunk of bread.
One Viognier that stood out for its immediate, fruit-forward appeal was Anakena's Viognier from the Rapel Valley in Chile. Anakena is a relative newcomer to the international wine scene. The winery is the brainchild of Chilean entrepreneur Felipe Ibanez and former Wines of Chile President Jorge Gutierrez. Its first vintage was in 2001 after the vines were planted in 1999. I visited the winery, which sits in the foothills of the Andes in 2005 and found it to be winemaking on a very modern scale. Not only was it kitted out with everything one would expect in a brand new winery such as stainless fermentation tanks, but back then winemaker Gonzalo Perez also was analyzing soil types and climatic readings obtained from satellites. They used this information to decide which vines were best matched to which soil types. It seemed a long way from the villages of the northern Rhone, where white grape varieties such as Grenache Blanc, Marsanne and Rolle have been cultivated for centuries.
Will Lyons
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