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The Wine Guy: Giving Local Wines Their Due

Virginia is one of the country's best sources for Viognier. So why is Proof, the new wine-centric restaurant in Penn Quarter, serving a bottle from California?

By Dave McIntyre Published Thursday, August 23, 2007

Like many vinoscenti in the DC area, I eagerly awaited the opening of Proof restaurant (775 G St., NW; 202-737-7663) in Penn Quarter, with its wine theme and extensive by-the-glass offerings that encourage exploration. But I was surprised, even dismayed, to find an unspectacular mass-produced Viognier from California featured on its list. Given the number of excellent Viogniers available from Virginia – a region already known for the grape – why offer the Bridlewood 2005 Reserve, a Gallo label with 12,000 cases in production?

Sebastian Zutant, Proof’s sommelier, told me he selected the Bridlewood for its “unique characteristics.”

“It has a great level of acidity, and Viognier can be flabby,” he explained. “This one has the richness of Viognier with greater acidity.”

Still, in an age when restaurants boast about their local meats and produce, it’s time to pay attention to local wines, especially when they are good. Zutant does have a late-harvest Viognier from Virginia’s Delfosse winery on his dessert list. Produced as an ersatz ice wine (the grapes are frozen after they are picked rather than picked while frozen on the vine), it is delicious. But Delfosse also produced a spectacular 2006 Reserve Viognier that offers the unctuous body and vibrant acidity Zutant is seeking, along with the grape’s enticing floral and tropical flavors that I found lacking in the Bridlewood.

“I’m working the local stuff in slowly but surely,” Zutant says, mentioning a Chambourcin from Oakencroft Winery on his list. With the rise in quality and the increasing number of boutique wineries in Virginia and Maryland, he should find plenty to choose from.

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Comments

While I haven’t tasted the Bridlewood Viognier, I have yet to find many California Viogniers that I can stomach...and for that matter...Viogniers from many other regions besides Virginia, Condrieu (its native home) and a random few from Chile and South Africa.

The concept of ’acidity’ peaked my interested in the above post. Viognier is not usually an acidic wine. In fact, its quite the contrary. The grape’s tendency is to develop high sugar levels but low acidity.

I know for a fact that alot of California wineries acidify their wines....Sauvignon Blanc for sure and also Viognier. I just returned from Temecula in Southern California and tasted a dozen or so Viogniers from this up and coming region and every single one was acidified...because without the added acidity the wines would be fat.

Theres just something more elegant about the Virginia Viogniers as compared to their West Coast conterparts from California. And more often than not, the California Viogniers come off a bit too ’fruity’ than those from Virginia--due to residual sugar levels left to mask Viognier’s higher alcohol levels.

To really see the difference (and what a fun experiment this would be) grab a Condrieu, the Chrysalis Viognier from Virginia and one from California and try them side by side. I would be interested in the outcome.

Posted by: andrew@oyadc.com, Sep 12, 2007 09:14:16 PM

I’ve been to several spots that have Virginia Viognier by the glass, among them OYA which serves the Breaux Viognier from Loudoun County , which is 400 case production, and a wine bar in Dulles Airport, Vino Volo, which serves the Rappahannock. Both are stellar and small production.

Posted by: , Sep 11, 2007 03:34:39 PM

Thank you David for making the case for Virginia wines.

Posted by: Tamra, Aug 27, 2007 06:53:50 AM

I can’t believe you bagged on a delicious wine just to try to prove a point about supporting local wines. Obviously you’ve never tried the wine or you would understand why it’s on the list and why it beat out so many other Virginia wines that are not as consistently high quality and are not as good a value when it comes to cost. Sebastian knows his stuff and the onus is on Virginia wineries to step up (like Gray Ghost with their RSV Chard or Pearmund Ameritage) to make better wines. Any som is glad to place an eccentric but fantastic wine on their list if it’s good enough to merit being there in the first place.

Posted by: nick.materese@finewine.com, Aug 25, 2007 04:17:03 PM

The wine tides are changing a bit. Wine quality in the East (especially in New York, Virginia, and North Carolina) is improving significantly. Try the Richard Childress brand out of North Carolina. They make some great whites (viognier is no exception) and some great high end reds.

Posted by: Charles Nolan , Aug 24, 2007 07:09:45 PM

Who cares what they are serving if there’s no place to sit (or stand) at the bar? All winter I was looking forward to Proof, the WINE BAR coming to DC. Whatever happened along the way, it’s not a wine bar (as you say, it’s a "wine-centric restaurant"), and I am not impressed with the result.

Posted by: , Aug 24, 2007 01:31:41 PM

Since when is 12,000 cases is "mass production"? This wine was made our estate winery in Santa Ynez, CA and has received critical acclaim (your comments aside).

Posted by: Chris Nodland, Bridlewood Estate Winery GM, Aug 24, 2007 09:43:39 AM

We love Bridlewood Viognier! If I’m not mistaken, It was won more national accolades that all Virginian Viognier combined.

Posted by: , Aug 24, 2007 09:37:29 AM

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The Wine Guy: Giving Local Wines Their Due

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