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Viognier and Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Pear-Ginger Salsa
May 1, 2010 by David
Filed under Blog, Wine & Recipe of The Month
How about something just slightly exotic for Mother’s Day this year? That’s our Napa Valley Viognier with its heady stone fruit, floral and spice aroma. And, this oh so easy to prepare entrée, with a slight Asian accent, offers a beautiful yin and yan of sweet and savory flavors as the perfect complement. Toss together a crisp, green salad with citrus vinaigrette, fire up the grill and a delicious lunch or dinner for Mom is ready in a matter of minutes.
Ingredients
2 pounds Mahi Mahi
1 tablespoon stir fry oil
Salt & white pepper to taste
2 firm Bartlett pears, diced
1 firm peach, diced
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled & grated
2 teaspoons red onion, minced
2 teaspoons mint, chopped
Directions
Prepare BBQ to medium-high heat. Wash fish, pat dry, and gently rub with oil. Sprinkle with
salt and white pepper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine pears, peach, lime juice, ginger, onion, and mint. Season to
taste with salt. Set aside.
Grill fish until just cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer fish to
plates. Spoon salsa over fish and serve immediately.
Serves 4
Discover more great recipes in Colleen’s Kitchen
Purchase the 2008 Goosecross Viognier in our online shop
Just Released! 2008 Goosecross Viognier
Viognier may be shy bearing and difficult to press but the payoff is gorgeous stone fruit and flowers! We’re talking fresh peach, nectarine, honeysuckle, grapefruit and something slightly tropical like pineapple – absolutely delicious!
Viognier and food: Bone dry, with all the body and weight of a Chardonnay, it makes an exotic alternative to it. It’s our first choice as a match for sushi night here at the winery! It’s something different to serve at your next wine and cheese party. Or, think about pairing it with sweet proteins like scallops or ham, especially if you use fruit in the preparation. Colleen loves to serve the Viognier with her recipe for Butternut Squash Ravioli with Browned Sage Butter. Yum!
2008 Napa Valley “Oak Knoll” Viognier
September 8, 2009 by David
Filed under Viognier, Winemaker Notes
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Abundantly fruity, a burst of fresh peach, juicy pear and sweet honeysuckle anticipates lush flavors of nectarine, ripe melon and pineapple with a clean, bright grapefruit finish.
2007 Napa Valley “Oak Knoll” Viognier
August 27, 2008 by David
Filed under Viognier, Winemaker Notes
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
An exotically fragrant alternative to Chardonnay with fresh peach, ripe apricot, sweet honeysuckle and spice. Pairings: Shellfish, pork, duck, fish or chicken with a fruity or Asian flair.
Viognier
June 23, 2007 by David
Filed under Winemaker Notes
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Well, it’s hard to pronounce, but worth it! Exotically fragrant, heady, tropical and lush.
Viognier is a very ancient variety going back to at least Roman times and comes to us from the Rhone Valley in southern France. It makes some of the most distinctively aromatic wines in the world. The peach, honey and floral aromas might lead you to expect a delicate wine, but it’s also famous for being rather voluptuous on the palate and generous in alcohol.
Join our Director of Education, Nancy Hawks Miller, as she talks about the queen of Rhone whites: Viognier.
2006 Napa Valley “Oak Knoll” Viognier
March 6, 2007 by David
Filed under Viognier, Winemaker Notes
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Exotic flavors and fragrant aromas with honeysuckle, white peach, green apple, apricot and spice. Luscious, tropical flavors, honey, melon and ripe pear coat the palate followed by a crisp, citrusy finish.
Listen to our audio winemaker note: mp3
Read more about this wine here.
2005 Napa Valley “Oak Knoll” Viognier
January 19, 2006 by David
Filed under Viognier, Winemaker Notes
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Viognier isn’t widely grown outside of its ancestral home in the Rhone Valley of southern France. A limited fruit yielding variety, it was relatively unknown here in California until the early 1990s and the acreage still remains limited due to the difficulty of cultivation. For Geoff Gorsuch, our winemaker, the low yields and viticultural challenges are offset by Viognier’s exotic apricot and spice. He comments that he “…just can’t pass it up, no matter the yield. The aromatics are irresistible. It’s such a seductive wine—luscious and delicate at the same time.”
Winemaker Notes
Aside from a few heat spikes in July, 2005 was quite a cool, long growing season providing the all important hang-time we need to maximize flavor development. Geoff farms our Viognier in the Oak Knoll District where the cooling bay breezes added to the effect of the long ripening season, yielding small, intensely flavored clusters. Following the mid-September harvest, he fermented the juice slowly, at low temperatures to retain all the fragrant honeysuckle, pear and tropical fruit. For all of its delicate aromas, it’s full and satisfying on the palate with a crisp, citrus finish.
Food Suggestions
Lively peach and melon flavors make our Viognier a refreshing counterpoint for spicy Asian and Indian dishes. Geoff loves it with shellfish—the fruit complements the sweetness of the meat, and the crisp finish cleanses the palate for the next bite. It’s the perfect partner for other sweet proteins like duck or pork, and a delicious companion for sushi.
