I swear I have a TOUGH job. I have to be an example of HOW to live the good life day in and day out. Traveling, learning about spa treatments, figuring out WHO is having the best sale, what beauty products REALLY work and tonight….tonight I have the really difficult task of tasting a new wine. So, if by the end of this post, the words start looking like gibberish, you know I’m doing a GOOD job.
Interestingly, I’ve always thought that viogniers were only grown in the Rhone region, so I was surprised to learn that the normally difficult to grow grapes in Galil Mountain Winery’s 2008 Viognier are actually from Galilee (yes, THAT Galilee…in Northern Israel).
Galil’s Viognier 2008 is medium bodied with a citrusy flavor and a finish that lingers for a few seconds on the tongue. It’s light golden, almost clear color and silky texture will be a great complement to your holiday turkey or Chanukah meal of blintzes and latkes. I’m sitting here drinking it with some cheese and pieces of fresh fruit, relaxing after my day. They say that it would be perfect with dried fruit or Asian dishes, but since that wasn’t tonight’s plan…I’ll have to make certain that I leave a little for tomorrow (maybe I’ll make a quick stir fry to accompany the wine).
The Galil Mountain Winery sits atop the Upper Galilee mountain range, where there is a 2,000 year old history of winemaking. The winery has a total of five vineyards in the region and 90% of the grapes and are reds, used in Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc. with only a smaller amount making the Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. The Galil Mountain Winery is known as the most innovative in Israel because of it’s progressive, ecologically-responsible design. So, you can feel good about supporting their venture.
Okay, so I’m no oenophile, but I do know what I enjoy and I’m suggesting that this would be the perfect wine to serve for your holiday celebration (Chanukah or Christmas). At around $15.00 a bottle, it would also make a nice gift for any wine lover on your list.
I received a bottle of wine for this review, all opinions are strictly my own.
