We’ve already established that Vioginer is one of the white grapes that thrives in Texas soils. For a quick refresher, Viognier (pronounced Vee-on-yay), is a French Rhone Valley grape known for its floral and fruity aromas. From the nose, the Viognier is often perceived as a sweet wine, but is actually fairly dry—great for pairing with food.

In previous months, we’ve selected Viogniers from McPherson Cellars and Alamosa Wine Cellars, both excellent representations of how well this grape does in Texas. This month we’ve selected another Viognier with the help of sommelier Hunter Hammett, CSW of the Pyramid Restaurant & Bar at The Fairmont Dallas. Having earned his credentials as a Certified Sommelier, Hammett worked as floor sommelier for both the Mansion at Turtle Creek and Fearing’s, Ritz-Carlton before arriving at the Fairmont Dallas as Wine Director. His passion for wine and spirits won him recognition from Wine Spectator with an Award of Excellence for his wine program in 2010.

In addition to the many wine selections around the world Hammett has lately become a great fan of Texas wines.  “Texas wine quality has improved tremendously in the last 10 years,” says Hammett. “It’s been a great pleasure for me as a native Texan to introduce restaurant guests not only to talented Texas wine producers but also to varietals that are extremely food-friendly and greatly underrated.”

One such producer is Brennan Vineyards in Comanche, Texas whose 2009 Viognier has turned heads as one of the best in the state. “Owner Pat Brennan is a devoted artisan who is committed to producing award-winning wines,” says Hammett. “This wine has ripe peach, apricot, and honeysuckle aromas and just enough acidity to keep it lively. I was introduced to his wines several years ago as a judge for The Dallas Morning News and the Grapevine International Wine Competitions and I’ve been a fan ever since.”

For this reason, this month’s wine of the month is Brennan Vineyards Viognier, 2009. Since 2005, the Viognier has been Brennan Vineyards’ signature wine winning Best Texas White Wine in Lone Star International Wine Competitions and a Double Gold Medal at the Houston Rodeo with previous vintages. The 2009 Viognier won Gold Medals in the 2010 Indy International, the 2011 San Francisco Chronicle and the 2011 Dallas Morning News Wine Competitions.

For just under $20, this beautiful white wine is perfect for summer and would make the perfect housewarming gift for a dinner party. (You could even stack our three Wine of the Month Viognier selections against each other to see which one you prefer.) Though you can order directly from the winery website , you can also find the Brennan Viognier at a few specialty wine merchants as well as at Spec’s. (And of course, you can find this on the Pyramid Restaurant & Bar wine list.)

For Hammett, this particular Viognier is an example of the high quality of Texas wines being produced despite such harsh weather conditions throughout the year. “The erratic Texas climate is a constant challenge for winemakers who are producing quality-driven wines,” says Hammett. “But a wine like this is a testament to the dedicated efforts of such artisan wine producers committed to providing the best fruit from the lone star state.”

Winery: Brennan Vineyards, Viognier 2009

Price: ~$20

Availability: Winery, Spec’s, select wine merchants

- Jessica Dupuy

Tagged: Alamosa Wine Cellars, Brennan Vineyards, Hunter Hammett, Jessica Dupuy, McPherson Cellars, Pyramid Fairmont Dallas, Texas Wine of the Month, Viognier

New to the Eat My Words blog, we’re introducing bi-monthly posts devoted to an increasingly popular branch of Texas agriculture and tourism: Texas Wine.

Each month we’ll bring you interesting topics, travel tips, and event coverage on the Texas wine industry as well as a “Wine of the Month” selection guided by some of the state’s top sommeliers.

This month’s “Texas Wine of the Month” was selected with a little help from one of the state’s few Master Sommeliers, Guy Stout. His work with Glazer’s wine and spirits distributing company throughout the past 15 years paired with his exceptional palate  has made Stout a trusted name in wine circles across the state.

Though there are many Texas wines Stout enjoys, the 2008 McPherson Cellars Viognier ranks among his favorite. The Viognier grape is one that McPherson Cellars’ winemaker Kim McPherson has cultivated in the High Plains of Texas, near Lubbock, for years and it has fast become one of the state’s signature varietals.

Originally from the Rhone valley of France, Viognier, pronounced ‘vee-OH-nyay’, not “voy-guh-nyAIR,’ is known for its floral aroma and often citrus and tropical-fruit flavor. But despite its sweet smell, most Viogniers are actually dryer wines, meaning they lack the cloying sugars often found in sweeter Rieslings and Muscats. Viognier wines are similar in color to Chardonnays although a little lighter and offer a less “buttery” taste than Chardonnays that have been aged in oak.

“This is one of the grapes that Texas does as well as any area of the United States,” says Stout. “McPherson’s Viognier has a rich citrus orange peel quality and a light touch of oak aging, without being too strong. This wine goes better with food than many Chardonnays and has a much less oak-y taste. There is a slight rocky mineral texture on the palate, with medium body and round, rich stone fruits as well as a citrus-y mid-palate with a moderate length to the  finish.”

In short, this wine is great to serve with friends who like white wine, but have differing tastes. Some people prefer Chardonnay; others prefer Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. This Viognier should make everyone happy. It pairs well with anything from pasta with garlic, herbs, and olives to King Ranch chicken.

Winery: McPherson Cellars Winery

Retail Price: $12.99-$14.99

Availability: Most Texas grocers including H-E-B, as well as wine and liquor retailers such as Twin Liquors and Spec’s.

Tagged: Guy Stout, Kim McPherson, McPherson Cellars, texas wine, Texas Wine of the Month, Viognier