We’re excited to announce our newest wine, Bright Cellars' Wellfleet Viognier! This Viognier from Lodi, California has flavor notes of lemon, cantaloupe, orange blossom, and rose.
Wellfleet
Take a deep breath in and smell that salty ocean air...you’re right where the shallows meet the shore. The Wellfleet brand is like a rare pearl plucked from the ocean waves. With each sip this vino emits lustrous balance with invigorating aromas and flavors. This wine DEFINITELY gives off those east coast vibes. Picture it: The different hues of ocean blue meld with the soft brown sand, and the smell of ocean air fills your nose as you sit at an ocean-side restaurant eating oysters and sipping Wellfleet. Perfection!
Wellfleet Viognier
The Wellfleet Viognier (vee - own - YAY) is an opulent white wine that just SCREAMS refined East Coast ocean vibes! The well-balanced and fruit-forward wine features flavors of orange blossom and rose right away. You’ll also taste flavors of peach, tangerine, and guava. This wine has medium sweetness levels with relatively low acidity. This wine’s ABV is a modest 13.6%. The Viognier grape varietal originated in Southern France but the Wellfleet Viognier comes from Lodi, California. If you enjoy a nice chilled glass of Chardonnay, you will really enjoy this Viognier since they are similar in body.
Pairing
It's always a good idea to remember when pairing Vioginer with food that the vino has a medium acidity and floral notes. You’ll want to pair with foods that are not overly acidic. Our go-to for this pairing would be a roasted chicken, fresh caught lobster or crab, or sea bass! Fresh seafood and salty sea air are a great pairing for this white wine.
Lodi, California
Hidden between the San Francisco Bay and the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Lodi AVA is California’s best-kept wine secret. The appellation has a deep rooted history with family farms that are dominated by 4th and 5th generation winemakers. Back in 1850, Capt. Charles Weber was the first to plant wine grapes in the area. About 2 years later George West was traveling in California in hope to find gold. He found some, but in the shape of grapes. He saw that Weber’s grapes were flourishing, so West bought some from Weber and started the first major vineyard in the southern edge of the region.
By 1880 many of the other crop markets were not successfull in the area. Many farmers turned to grapes instead! This led to the Lodi AVA being established in 1986. The Mediterranean-like climate gives wineries in this appellation a unique advantage. The weather features warm days and cool evenings, along with cool “delta breezes” coming from the San Joaquin/Sacramento River Delta. This climate allows winemakers to produce succulent flavored wines that have a hint of acidity.
Along with a great climate the Lodi AVA has diverse soils! These sandy soils were created thousands of years ago due to naturally occurring geological events. The Mokelumne and Cosumnes rivers have flowed through what is now Lodi for many years. With them they have brought granitic-based minerals that give the wines their unique tastes. Many of Lodi’s historic Zinfandel vines are growing along the banks of the Mokelumne River. Winemakers have had to expand their vineyards and are now planting their vines away from the river banks and up in the hills. The hills in the region are still ideal for growing grapes because of the clay based and stony soils.
