The Devil made Pinot Noir

Valley Mills Vineyard

(254) 848-4343
8532 Highway 6 North
Waco, Texas

Open: Thursday 2 to 7
Friday 2 to 7
Saturday 12 to 7
Sunday 12 to 5

Valley Mills Vineyard: Web




           

           This past week I joined the Valley Mills Vineyard Wine Club; Great way to support a local business and access to some great local wine. I am not a connoisseur or extremely knowledgeable when it comes to wine, but I became pretty interested while working in the cooking connection at H.E.B. While working there, I was able to sample several wines and learn some stuff from April. I feel, hope, that joining this Wine Club will help me expand my pallet and knowledge of wine.

            I’m starting this blog section for all the wines I get to sample over the next couple of years (Minimum of 12). Every time I try a new wine from them I will post my thoughts, some history on the style, and what VMV thinks about it. I got the idea from one of the employees up there, after I told them that I have a food blog.

           The few times I have visited VMV I have had great experiences. The employees there are extremely nice, friendly and knowledgeable. Noelle is the young lady there, whom I have spoken the most with so far... very nice. The second time I stopped by was for some live music they had playing, "A Brighter Blue", along with my first 'case' of wines as a Wine Club Member. Some friends and myself, enjoyed a couple of bottles and the great music. You don't have to be a member to buy their wines, but If you really like wine it is a great deal! Cant wait for what the future will bring, being a member!
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          Most people lean one way of the other when it comes to wine, in some manner, and I lean toward the sweeter side. Most of my collection is built of sweet whites and reds, a few middle wines like Pinot Noir and even a couple of dries thrown in like Malbec and Cab. But I will try my best to not let my sweeter side hinder my judgment.


Since I am not a professional by any standards, actually pretty new, at reviewing wines I have decided to use the American Wine Society Evaluation guidelines:

“The American Wine Society has created its own 20-point scale for use in evaluating wines. 

• Appearance (3 points)
• Aroma/Bouquet (6 points)
• Taste/Texture (6 points)
• Aftertaste (3 points)
• Overall Impression (2 points)

As you examine and drink a wine, you score each category above from zero to the maximum number of points indicated (using guidelines provided on the form), then total, for a maximum score of 20.  For example, wines rated 18-20 are considered Extraordinary, 15-17 Excellent, and 12-14 Good.”

Now Time for the Wines:

1) Dry Viognier:

             Pronunciation:

            Light History:

“The origin of the Viognier grape is unknown. Viognier is presumed to be an ancient grape, possibly originating in Croatia and then brought to Rhône by the Romans.  The origin of the name Viognier is also obscure. The most common namesake is the French city of Vienne, which was a major Roman outpost. Another legend has it drawing its name from the Roman pronunciation of the via Gehennae, meaning the "Valley of Hell". Probably this is an allusion to the difficulty of growing the grape.” - Wikki          

            Stuff:

“Viognier wines are well known for their floral aromas, due to terpenes, which are also found in Muscat and Riesling wines. There are also many other powerful flower and fruit aromas which can be perceived in these wines depending on where they were grown, the weather conditions and how old the vines were. The wine is meant to be consumed relatively young and typically loses its perfume as it ages. Depending on the winemaking style the grape can often hit its peak at one year of age though some can stay at high levels of quality up to ten years. Typically Condrieu wines are the Viogniers most often meant to be drunk young while Californian and Australian wines can handle age a little bit better.”- Wiki

            VMV:
“Valley Mills Vineyards Viognier comes from the Bingham Vineyard, in the Texas High Plains, though its origins go back to the Rhone Valley, in France. Its complex aroma is distinctive for citrus, flower, and ripe apricots, and almonds. Viognier pairs well with spicy Asian food, and also a great wine to serve with afternoon cheese and fruit. Aged in steel tanks, this Viognier is meant to be served chilled, at about 45-50 degrees.”  

            My turn:

This is the first wine I tried during my first visit at VMV. My friends were enjoying glasses of both the Viognier and the Tempranillo; I sampled both, and decided to get a glass of the Viognier.-- My first impression of it was that it has a very nice aroma, with an undertone of sweetness; I like sweet or floral smelling wines that aren’t harsh on the nostrils or make my face rear up (not to say I don’t occasionally drinks wines that do). This wine has an aroma that doesn’t smack you in the face, but still lingers after you’ve taken a sip.. kinda reminded me of dried fruit snacks. –The appearance is what I would imagine translucent golden honey would look like, with no signs of impurities. –I know the bottle says “Dry” and its considered a “medium-dry” wine, but this specific wine has a hint of sweetness to it that perks out from the hints of dried fruit and light floral. The dryness comes more in the aftertaste, least in my opinion. It’s very smooth, and makes this wine very easy to drink a couple of glasses rather fast. Overall I really enjoyed this wine, and would like to try other Viognier. But until then, I will have to settle with the 2 bottles of VMV Viognier that I purchased.  

 •          Appearance = 3

•           Aroma/Bouquet = 5

•           Taste/Texture =4

•           Aftertaste =3

•           Overall Impression = 2      Total = 17