Valley of the Moon Pinot Gris-Viognier 2018
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Wilfred
Wong
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Aromas of honey, white peach, yellow apple, and mango. On the palate, flavors of juicy bosc pear, peach, mango, and tropical pineapple with a bright lemon meringue finish. A versatile wine that's at home on many tables. Goes well with planked fish on the barbecue, creamy pasta, or roast chicken. A fun match for fish tacos with avocado and fresh lime.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Valley of the Moon Pinot Gris-Viognier is a cleaver white wine blend. TASTING NOTES: This wine is delicious and beautifully food-friendly. Pair its aromas and flavors of apples, other dried fruits, and a touch of jasmine with red tuna sashimi. (Tasted: July 5, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
Valley of the Moon wines are steeped in the history of Sonoma Valley. The name Valley of the Moon borrows its origin from the translation of the Native American word Sonoma. With a winemaking tradition as rich and deep as the soil where the grapes are grown, Valley of the Moon’s wine program today features all that this region has to offer.
Valley of the Moon has a wine for each palate and pairing. All of the wines highlight the Sonoma region. Find a new favorite Chardonnay – oaked or unoaked – or try the popular Pinot Gris - Viognier Blend. Red wine lovers will enjoy the single varietal Zinfandels, Pinot Noirs and Cabernet Sauvignons. Looking for a crowd-pleaser? Try one of the popular blends: Blend 1887 is jammy, juicy and fun while Blend 1941 is bold, complex and rich. For a special occasion or a connoisseur experience open a bottle of Valley of the Moon Reserve: the winemaking team reserves the best grapes for these fine wines, crafting and aging them with extra care.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.