Vine Lines — Johnny Q Shiraz Viognier a steal of a deal

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This article was published 15/09/2017 (3109 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I used to love Shiraz. And I’m not sure why I stopped drinking it.

Perhaps because some of the ones I used to drink occasionally had a pinch or more of sweetness to them, and I really am not fond of sweet wines.

But Shiraz was my wine of choice for many, many years. I used to love it on its own, and particularly with venison and with lamb. And while I’ve tried a bunch of Shirazes over recent years, none of them seemed to be as magical as I remember.

But that all changed a few weeks ago.

I tried an inexpensive Shiraz Viognier blend — and I think that touch of Viognier is the difference. It really rounds out the taste and texture of this wine. I’ve noticed, too, that the Shiraz Viognier blend seems to be a thing these days, as many wineries have it in their offerings. It seems odd that a white wine grape mixed with a inky red grape should be such a divine pairing, but that truly seems to be the case.

As an aside, in case you’ve ever wondered, Shiraz and Syrah are the same grape. Generally speaking, the French call the grape Syrah, but in Australia, it’s called Shiraz (pronunciation guide here: while some pronounce it shur-ahs, it is, as far as I know, shur-as — it rhymes with jazz). And as might be expected, the wine made from Syrah is generally (but not always) Old World in style, meaning it’s less full-bodied and intense, while Shiraz is bigger and jammier and much more fruit-forward.

Just to make things even more confusing, there’s Petite Sirah. It’s pronounced the same as Syrah, but it’s a completely different grape. And as a further complication, Petite Sirah and Durif are also the same grape. These are generally big, bold wines with tons of dark fruit flavours, which I adore.

But back to my discovery.

I’d been given a bottle of the 2013 Johnny Q Shiraz Viognier from Australia to sample. And when I found out it was only $14.99, my expectations weren’t terribly high. But we were having venison burgers for supper that night, and I thought it would be an ideal time to give the Johnny Q a try. And was I ever glad I did!

A deep red wine with purple overtones, its aroma is full of blackcurrant with a hint of mint. Those impressions continue on the palate, where some vanilla oak comes through, and I also detected a hint of fennel on the finish. Lushly fruity and full-bodied, the wine is bone dry, which I adore, and while it’s fine on its own, it’s especially delightful with food. It could benefit from a little aeration to smooth out the tannins a bit, but I loved it just the way it was and is.

I had my husband try it, and he liked it too. So I asked him, “How much do you think this wine costs?” He thought about it for a minute, had another sip, and then said, “Twenty-five dollars.”

Needless to say he was delighted when I told him it was only $15!

But that’s the point. The Johnny Q Shiraz Viognier reads like a wine that might cost way more than it does. So if you’re into Shiraz — and I am again now! — by all means give it a try. The price is certainly right, and it’s a heck of a wine for that amount of money. I’m off to the Liquor Mart as I hit send on this column to stock up on Johnny Q!

» Diane Nelson is a longtime journalist and former Sun staffer who really likes wine. A lot.vinelines.ca. Twitter: @vinelinesbdn