Got your attention? Great, because I love talking about Texas wines, but to be clear, I won’t suggest that Texas has a signature red or white grape like California has Chardonnay and Oregon has Pinot Noir. Why? Because Texas is as big as France, which has many stunning red and white wines, making it impossible to name just one.
Like France, however, there’s no doubt that Viognier is among the top white grapes for Texas. I recently attended a fabulous wine dinner with wines from Côte Rotie, France, and as one would expect, we kicked off the evening with white wines from its nearby neighbor Condrieu – the historical home of Viognier. A bigger and I like to call it “pretty” white wine, Viognier is known for its intense aromatics of flowers and stone fruits like peach and apricot and notes of honeysuckle. Some Côte-Rotie producers blend Viognier with their Syrah to produce a softer, more perfumed and complex red wine.
Here is a run-down of the French and Texas wines I tasted and I have to say that many might prefer the warm-climate Texas Viogniers that offer big aromatics and ripe fruit over the French Condrieu.
Rene Rostaing Condrieu, 2020 La Bonnette – a classic producer of Viognier, this wine was made in 100% stainless and offered more mineral and orange citrus notes with a hint of bitterness on the finish
Domaine Georges Vernay Condrieu, 2019 Coteau de Vernon – my fave of the French flight, this wine has beautiful notes of tangerine and apricot fruit and a creamy mouthfeel from new oak aging
E. Guigal Condrieu, 2017 La Doriane – the “queen” of Condrieu, the E. Guigal wine spent time on new French oak and showed beautifully despite her age, with notes of bruised apple and pear
Spicewood Vineyards 2023 Estate Viognier (Texas Hill Country) – very light in color, with super floral aromas of white jasmine and honeysuckle with a musky undertone combined with peach, apricot and pear fruit notes. The stainless steel fermentation with some lees stirring makes this a clean, fruit-forward white with a round mouthfeel.
Pedernales Cellars 2022 Viognier – made with grapes grown in the Texas High Plains near Lubbock (about 80% of Texas wine grapes are grown there), this Viognier has been wow-ing me for some time! Gold in color, the lush Pedernales Viognier has notes of honey, pineapple, golden apple and mango. Its bright acidity just keeps you wanting more!
Brennan Vineyards 2019 Viognier Reserve – more drops of gold, the Brennan Viognier Reserve had pretty tropical notes of mango and pineapple, with hints of peach, apricot and honey. After five years, it showed some signs of oxidation but still had nice acidity and flavor.
My takeaway from these recent tasting: Texas is giving France a run for its money and reputation when it comes to Viognier. Cheers!
Denise Clarke is an avid wine enthusiast who loves sharing and teaching people about wine. She is a Certified Wine Educator, Certified Sommelier, WSET Advanced graduate and an expert on Texas wine. Owner of Denise Clarke PR, she currently represents Texas Fine Wine and the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Wine Marketing Program. She has lived in Austin for more than 30 years and when she is not swirling and sipping wine, she can be found on her bike, climbing every hill she can find.
Follow Denise on IG at @deniseclarkeTX for more wine recommendations.
Denise Clarke is an avid wine enthusiast who loves sharing and teaching people about wine. She is a Certified Wine Educator, Certified Sommelier, WSET Advanced graduate and an expert on Texas wine. Owner of Denise Clarke PR, she currently represents Texas Fine Wine and the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Wine Marketing Program. She has lived in Austin for more than 30 years and when she is not swirling and sipping wine, she can be found on her bike, climbing every hill she can find.
Follow Denise on IG at @deniseclarkeTX for more wine recommendations.
