Spring has sprung in Napa Valley and as the days warm, floral and spice aromas waft all around through the air.   It is a romantic time to be in wine country with flowers blooming, grapes starting to set on vines and herbs coming into season.   With temperatures reaching into the upper 70’s on the weekends, folks are venturing out and ready to discover what wines await them.  

As we creep closer to the one year anniversary of the web site, I thought it would be timely to revisit a wine initially featured here, but a different vintage.   Coupled with the fact that it is spring, there is no better time than to revisit Viognier.    Given my choice for top Viognier in Napa Valley is Goosecross Cellars (“Goosecross”, which is known for their white wines), it is fitting to feature this year’s released vintage:   2008 Napa Valley “Oak Knoll” Viognier (“2008 Viognier”).

Opening the 2008 Viognier, the wine is instinctively floral as notes of honeysuckle entice the nose.    While agreed that Goosecross’ Viognier characteristically presents lovely flavors of peach and nectarine, this 2008 vintage uniquely offers the often missed stone fruit of apricot.   Recognizing that the 2008 vintage is also increasingly spicy, ginger flirts with the back of the palate and leaps forth like an impatient spring ready for summer.  The wine has a much fuller mouth feel and bolder identity than that of its prior vintages.   Is there a change in the composition of the grapes used in the wine?   No:  this wine is 100% Viognier.   Given it is 100% fruit and it bears all of the trademark Viognier characteristics of aromatic floral nose, forward stone fruit representation and ever-present spice, it clearly is a true reflection of the grape itself and perhaps (in my opinion) one of the best in Napa Valley.  For a white wine, however, its alcohol content is higher than most, coming in at 14.6%.

Viognier typically pairs well with spicy food.   It also is my first choice for pairing with sushi.   However, given that Viognier wines always have higher alcohol content than their other white wine brethren, I firmly believe that the food pairing must have some substantial protein and carbohydrates.   This is not to imply that the food pairing must be heavy, lack creativity or find itself without flare.   Without further ado, this week’s menu hosts:

·         Raspberry-Chipotle Roasted Chicken Breast Basil Sandwiches With Raspberry Mayonnaise

Simply stated, raspberries go brilliantly with Viognier.   Perhaps due to their inherent acidity and sweetness, they are a natural pairing with the wine.  Pair raspberries in a dish with the 2008 Viognier and prepare to embrace your inner “romanticismo.”   Given the wine’s own spicy nature, chipotle in the marinade for the chicken breasts fares equally well.

To help complete the sandwich, a raspberry mayonnaise is prepared using fresh raspberries.   A fresh sourdough roll from a local Napa bakery is then layered with the homemade raspberry mayonnaise, the raspberry-chipotle roasted chicken, thin slices of onion, fresh basil leaves and butter lettuce picked from the backyard garden.   Given that the sandwich and the wine each have plenty of spice, a soft sweet lettuce like butter lettuce is necessary as a peppery arugula or a bitter romaine would be too much and throw off the balance in the pairing.

The result is a romantic combination of spice, sweet, tangy and pepper suitable for a picnic or even dinner for two.  The pairing romanticizes the senses as it truly replicates the aromatic flare of Napa Valley in late spring.  With such an endorsement, the wine and meal taken together is appropriately suitable for creating the perfect lunch to host a guest visiting wine country and preparing his or her senses for all that is about to unfold.