Medium gold color; mango, almonds, guava, peach on the nose; peach, apricot, mango, tangerine, pineapple on the palate.
Dry; light body; no tannins; crisp acidity. Subtle sweetness from ripe fruits—viognier is a tricky grape to grow—and RGNY seems to have timed the harvest before over-ripeness and, thus, high alcohol turned this into a mess. Kudos for that. Still, this is expensive for what it is. Still, the surprise of a Mexican family making a northern Rhône wine on Long Island, New York is worth something. 12.2%
RGNY stands for “Rivero González New York.” The family started in the wine business in Parras, Coahuila, Mexico in 1998. Rivero is the father’s last name and González is the mother. The effort was more of a hobby than a business, but the daughter, Maria, really caught the wine bug and the Mexico winery found success with stores in Mexico City, Monterrey, and Parras. In 2018 they acquired the Martha Clara Winery on the North Fork of Long Island. They launched the RGNY brand in 2019. Maria Rivero González is the CEO-winemaker of the Long Island effort.
RGNY Viognier, North Fork of Long Island 2020 is soft, fruity, plump. Not a typical viognier—fainter on the nose and demure on the palate—but satisfying, easy drinker. Made by a Mexican wine-making family on Long Island, New York, so there are exotic elements in its lineage. Pair with roast chicken, turkey; salmon and other rich, oily fish; seared scallops, grilled lobster, baked crab, oysters; Indian and Thai cuisine—spicy foods in general; lighter meats—pork, veal, particularly when cooked in creamy sauces (with viognier as ingredient in the sauce). Cheese—creamy style cheeses such as triple cream brie; gorgonzola, gruyère, edam, young gouda, manchego, emmental, jarlsberg. $30-35
