Viognier Showdown

One of my favourite grapes is Viognier, the banner white grape of the Northern Rhone Valley. It is blessed with the richness of Chardonnay (minus all of the butterscotch and caramel that comes with oak-ageing), but it has a unique set of flavours all to itself.  It is apparently a difficult grape to grow (although being an urban-dwelling Canadian, I really wouldn’t know).

For years, it was only found in the tiny region of Condrieu in the northern Rhone Valley. Now, you can find Viognier all over the world. Even Canada has gotten into the game, with fine examples from both B.C and Ontario (the linked list doesn’t include the Kettle Valley Viognier from Naramata).

 In the Winnipeg market, there are two good examples gracing local shelves these days. Both are from Chile. Both are under $15, and both are very good.  Read on for the winner in today’s showdown… 

Prices, Tastings and ‘Les Prairies’

The other day, I complimented the MLCC for dropping the price on the Red Bicyclette line. Then yesterday I see that they have raised a number of other prices across the board. My favourite French wine (the Perrin’s ‘VF’ line) went up in price to $12.53. Other old favourites also went up. I’m not begrudging their right to raise prices, it’s a fact of life. And while a $2 drop in the price of one line of wines is good, it’s worth noting only because it’s rare for the MLCC to actually reduce a price.

Anyways, enough of that.

Lulu B. Pinot Noir

A good Pinot under $15 is a rare beast indeed. Even rarer is a good French Pinot at that range. So when the Lulu B Pinot Noir ($13.11 @ the MLCC) caught my eye this past weekend, I couldn’t resist. Originating in the Pays d’Oc (Limoux to be exact), this is a nice, light Pinot made by famed Burgundy negociant Louis Bernard. And it shows that the French are finally catching on to what makes New World wines so successful. There is a Lulu B. website, which has been down since Monday (you can find it here – just be sure to keep the volume on your computer turned down).