Winemakers sometimes co-ferment Syrah with Viognier. But, why would they combine a red-wine grape and a white-wine grape during fermentation?
Well, this began in the Côte-Rôtie, a wine-growing region in France's Northern Rhône Valley where Viognier often grows alongside Syrah. And, some winemakers there simply went with what they had - producing a “field-blend” wine. And, it worked quite well.
It actually turns out that blending these grapes during fermentation serves multiple purposes for winemakers.
One of the primary reasons for using Viognier in small quantities with Syrah is that it actually enhances the color of the Syrah. You’d think the Viognier would ‘water down’ the deep dark color of the Syrah. But, the chemical compounds of Viognier actually help to stabilize and retain the color of the Syrah through the fermentation process.
Viognier also has a beautiful floral aroma along with spice and peach notes that enhances the aroma of Syrah that can include plum, tobacco, black pepper and even bacon fat.
Viognier is also said to give Syrah a silkier mouthfeel.
The amounts of Viognier that are added to Syrah typically still allow the wine to be labelled as Syrah but some winemakers are actually going with full disclosure and labeling their wine as Syrah-Viognier. Either way, this co-fermentation enhances the final wine in your glass. Cheers!