Wednesday Wine: 2007 Robert Hall Viognier

A warm, sunny summer's day deserves a nice Viognier. The boyfriend and I found a great one with Robert Hall.

First off, let it be known that we love the Robert Hall Winery. This beautiful winery is located in the Central Coast of California, in a well-known wine region called Paso Robles. If you're in this area of California, it is worth a day (or two, or three) to explore the wineries. The Robert Hall Winery is very inviting with its open tasting room, amphitheater that looks out towards the vines, and the boce ball pit. We were so impressed with the establishment and the wines that we signed up for the wine club! Now, twice a year we come home to a huge box of wine at our front door--you can't beat that.

Viognier, a white wine, is a great one to drink due to its full body and variety of the flavors. Some people liken it to Chardonnay. They are usually high in alcohol content and not necessarily too sweet. The boyfriend felt the Robert Hall one had a metallic finish (he's more of a connoisseur than I am). Viognier seems to be gaining some steam --as it is being produced more.

So, hopefully there is a small selection in your local grocery or wine store. If you see one, try out one from California, Southern France, or any of the other regions that are starting to produce Viognier (even Virginia is jumping in on all of the fun).

Wednesday Wine: 2007 Red Bicyclette French Rosé

When I walk into the grocery store Rosés are not high on my list of wine to buy. In fact, they aren't on the list at all. However, this afternoon I was inspired by an article about rosé wines.

"Slightly chilled dry rose wines, especially those from Europe, can be a delight at the end of a summer day, with a lunch of chicken salad or with a nice piece of fish for dinner."

I wanted something light to relax with in this South Carolina heat, so I headed out to the nearest grocery store -- Piggly Wiggly (This name makes me laugh every time). After searching the shelves for a nice rosé, I settled on the 2007 Red Bicyclette French Rosé.

What: Rosé wines are light in color and range from orange to pinkish. The wine gets its color from the limited amount of time the grape skins stay in contact with the grape juice. The grape juice of the 2007 Bicyclette Rosé received only 12 hours of contact with the skin and was fermented for 3 weeks in steel tanks. This particular rosé comes from the Languedoc Roussillon region in southern France ( OOhh La la....I think I want to take my next trip here) . Rosé wines are great for warm summer time weather. You can pair it with light meals such as fish, chicken, and even sandwiches.

Taste: This particular wine isn't too sweet and is definitely light and fruity.

Rating: I don't particularly like the 2007 Red Bicyclette Rosé. But, I can be easily encouraged to give it another shot one day. I'm not going to shy away from rosés either. I will venture into other labels.

Price: $10.49

What I've learned: Don't be afraid to go out there and try something different. You might find something you like that you would have otherwise passed up.