While Paris might be celebrated for the wonderful bistrots and fine French dining, there isn’t a shortage of good traiteurs asiatiques that specialize in Asian delicacies just waiting to be taken home.  In fact, you’re bound to see one on just about every corner in just about every neighborhood.  And, when you’re tired after a long day of work, or still fighting jet lag (as was my case), they’re the perfect answer for a night in…but don’t forget to pick up the bottle of wine before you head home for the night.

While I was waiting for my sushi to be prepared by one of the local sushi shops in the 15^th arrondissement, I snuck around the corner to get a bottle of wine from the small grocery store.  Right away a bottle caught my eye: Gérard Bertrand Château l’Hospitalet Viognier 2007.  Well, to be more precise, it was actually the little tag on the bottle that got my attention since it said that this wine maker was voted in 2008 by Wine Spectator magazine as the best French winery for the quality versus price ratio.  My curiosity got the best of me, and besides, at 4 euros a bottle you don’t have much to lose.

The Wine

A former professional rugby player, Gérard Bertrand has become a leader in Languedoc wines (Southern France) and has established a reputation for quality in a region that is known for overproduction and its contribution to the French “wine lake.”  I was surprised by the complexity of this Viognier – one of the main varieties of the Languedoc.  It had nice floral notes of honeysuckle with layers of pear and citrus.  On the palate it had good acidity, was well structured and balanced.  It was what you would expect a Viognier to be.  While I wouldn’t call this a great wine, it was bright and pleasant, and went great with sushi.

The Pairing: Sushi and Viognier

Everyone knows that sake is traditionally paired with sushi, but Viognier can also be a great compliment.  In the Languedoc, Viognier is usually paired with Mediterranean fish dishes; however, the florality of Viognier is similar to that of certain sakes, making it a great choice for sushi.

23 Sep This entry was published on September 23, 2009 at 9:54 am. It’s filed under Wine, Wine Pairings and tagged Château l'Hopitalet, France, Gérard Bertrand, Languedoc, sushi, Viognier. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.