A Good Pair Day

In describing and comparing various noble white wine varieties, a member of the trade said this of Viognier: “like a female gymnast – beautiful and perfectly shaped, with muscle but superb agility and elegance.” Pronounced vee-own-yay, the ancestral home is France’s northern Rhône River valley as well as the Mediterranean coast. Taste wise, it is full-bodied and viscous with tangerine, apricot, honeysuckle and white peach notes. The typical extroverted floral aromatics, would have drinkers assume it to be on the sweet side when it is actually bone dry.  If you like a full-bodied Chardonnay, you will probably like Viognier. Leading producer of large volumes, yet offering great value is master winemaker of the Mediterranean, Gérard Bertrand. The appellation is the large coastal IGP Pays d’Oc which allows Gérard Bertrand to source the best vineyards and produce a consistent style year-in, year-out. Let’s remain in the larger vicinity and pair this wine with a North African dish - chicken tagine with apricots and almonds served over saffron rice. The aromas in the dish should heighten the fruit flavours and creaminess in the wine.

 2023 Gérard Bertrand Réserve Spéciale Viognier LCBO # 147975, $16.95.