Bob Landon, owner of McKinney, Texas-based Landon Winery and a recognized voice in Texas wine circles, is making the case for Viognier and Roussanne as practical additions to commercial beverage programs — particularly for operators whose menus lean toward Gulf Coast seafood, Tex-Mex, or spice-forward fare.
In a recent editorial feature distributed through HelloNation, Landon outlines how the two Rhône-origin varietals differentiate themselves from the more ubiquitous Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc that dominate most casual-dining and polished-casual by-the-glass lists. Viognier, he argues, offers floral aromatics and stone-fruit weight that bridge the gap between a guest who wants richness and one who wants freshness — a dual-appeal that can reduce SKU complexity on a tightly managed wine list. Roussanne, meanwhile, brings herbal complexity and natural acidity that hold up against chile heat, making it a credible pairing anchor for operators running Southwestern or Asian-inflected dayparts.
For beverage directors managing cost-per-pour targets, both varietals carry relevance beyond the sommelier circuit. Texas-grown Viognier and Roussanne benefit from the state's warm days and cool nights in appellations like the Texas Hill Country and High Plains, producing bottles that can retail between $18 and $32 — a price architecture that supports by-the-glass margin at mid-casual and upscale-casual price points without requiring guest education as extensive as, say, a lesser-known Italian white. LTO and seasonal menu programming have increasingly turned to aromatic whites as a lower-risk differentiation play, particularly as Pinot Grigio fatigue registers in supplier sell-in data.
The broader context is a beverage segment in transition. Off-premise wine volumes have plateaued post-pandemic, and on-premise operators are leaning on storytelling — regional provenance, winemaker identity, food-pairing specificity — to justify glass pours above $14. Landon's profile as a Texas-focused educator fits that operator need neatly; a named winemaker with a regional identity gives front-of-house staff a narrative peg that can move a table from well wine to a mid-tier pour.
For multi-unit operators or purchasing co-ops evaluating Texas wine programs, Landon Winery's dual-varietal positioning offers a template: lead with pairing utility, support with accessible price points, and layer in regional identity as a guest-engagement asset. As beverage program trends and menu development strategies continue to converge on experiential value, aromatic whites sourced from credible domestic producers represent a low-friction path to differentiating the glass list without overhauling the wine program.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
