# Co-fermentation

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{{Short description|Wine making process}}
'''Co-fermentation''' is the practice in [winemaking](/source/winemaking) of [fermenting](/source/Fermentation_(wine)) two or more [fruits](/source/fruits) at the same time when producing a wine.<ref name="OCW">{{cite encyclopedia |editor=[Jancis Robinson](/source/Jancis_Robinson) |encyclopedia=[Oxford Companion to Wine](/source/Oxford_Companion_to_Wine) |edition=3rd |title=Co-fermentation |year=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=0-19-860990-6 |page=[https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont00janc/page/186 186] |url=https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont00janc/page/186 }}</ref> This differs from the more common practice of blending separate wine components into a [cuvée](/source/cuv%C3%A9e) after fermentation. While co-fermentation in principle could be practiced for any mixture of grape varieties or other fruits, it is today more common for red wines produced from a mixture of red grape varieties and a smaller proportion of white grape varieties.

Co-fermentation is an old practice going back to the now uncommon practice of having [field blend](/source/field_blend)s (mixed plantations of varieties) in [vineyard](/source/vineyard)s, and the previous practice in some regions (such as [Rioja](/source/Rioja_(wine)) and [Tuscany](/source/Tuscany_(wine))) of using a small proportion of white grapes to "soften" some red wines which tended to have harsh [tannin](/source/tannins_(wine))s when produced with the winemaking methods of the time. It is believed that the practice may also have been adopted because it was found empirically to give deeper and better colour to wines, which is due to improved co-pigmentation resulting from some components in white grapes.<ref name="OCW"/>

==Use today==
The only classical Old World wine region where co-fermentation is still widely practiced is now the [Côte-Rôtie](/source/C%C3%B4te-R%C3%B4tie_AOC) appellation of northern [Rhône](/source/Rh%C3%B4ne_(wine_region)), while the use of white varieties in red Rioja and Tuscany wine has more or less disappeared. In Côte-Rôtie, the red variety [Syrah](/source/Syrah) and the aromatic white variety [Viognier](/source/Viognier) (up to 20% is allowed, but 5–10% is more common<ref name="OCW"/>) must be co-fermented, if Viognier is used.<ref>[http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000021208871&dateTexte=vig AOC regulations for Côte-Rôtie, version 2009-10-28], [Légifrance](/source/L%C3%A9gifrance)</ref> The reason why Viognier has been kept in Côte-Rôtie (while for example the white grapes [Marsanne](/source/Marsanne) and [Roussanne](/source/Roussanne) are hardly found any more in red [Hermitage](/source/Hermitage_AOC) or other red Rhône wines where they are allowed) is that it adds signature floral aromas to the wines. The popularity of Côte-Rôtie has led to [New World](/source/New_World_wine) interpretations of this blend, most notably [Australian](/source/Australian_wine) Shiraz-Viognier blends, which are also produced by co-fermentation.

The reason why co-fermentation is not more widely practiced is that it "locks in" a certain blend already at the start of the fermentation, which gives the winemaker less possibility to adjust the blend after fermentation.

Co-fermentation is also performed in situations where [field blend](/source/Field_blends) varietals are indistinguishable from each other, thus necessitating co-fermentation.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://winemakermag.com/289-field-blending-tips-from-the-pros|title = Field Blending: Tips from the Pros – WineMaker Magazine|last = Miller|first = Thomas J.|website = winemakermag.com|access-date = 2016-03-29}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{portal bar|Drink}}
Category:Fermentation in food processing
Category:Winemaking

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Co-fermentation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Co-fermentation) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Co-fermentation?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.