Food pairing for 2008 Road 13 Viognier, Roussanne, and Marsanne

A few weeks ago I bought a bottle of Road 13 (http://www.road13vineyards.com/index.php) Viognier, Roussane and Marsanne just to have on hand in case the need for a white wine presented itself. Just such an occasion presented itself on Christmas Eve as I was preparing that evening's dinner. I needed some white wine for my lentils that were to be served under maple syrup and balsamic vinegar glazed crispy pork belly with soft poached egg alongside a salad of assorted endives with a sweet-lemon tarragon dressing.

I opened the wine and not only did it seem more than adequate for my needs, it was abundantly clear that it would be a wonderful wine to drink with the meal too. It was bigger than I had anticipated. It had the fruit I expected, but it was also full and rounded, surprisingly so (at least to me) for a wine that has seen no oak whatsoever. It had the body to stand up to the lentils and pork belly, the acid to cut the fat in the pork belly and egg, and the fruit to work well with the salad. The pairing worked so well we left aside the bottle we had chosen for the evening (a fantastic Oregon Pinot) for another night. Chance (and Road 13 wine) treated us well that night.