Syrah / Shiraz
Pronunciation: Seer rah / Shi – rahzWhere it's Grown: Like so many other noble red grapes it has migrated all over the world. Most likely it made it to Europe through the conquests of the middle east. Babylon is thought to have grown this grape before it was brought to France. In France it found a place that became a standard of style for the wine until the late 20th century. Northern Rhône as a region still is the classical idea of what Syrah should be. From France it was taken to other European countries and to the new world. It was taken to South Africa and then to Australia while those areas were being settled by the English. Syrah has since made itself very famous in California, Washington, Chile, Italy, and so many other places.
French Syrah as a textbook style is bottled under the names Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, St. Joseph and Côte-Rôtie. Australians have labeled it Shiraz based on a bill of lading from when the vine was first brought to the continent. It is now the most prolific grape on the Australian continent, has found great fame an fortune in South Australia, and is the grape of Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. California grows the grape up and down the state but the greatest wines are to be found in the Santa Barbara area. Washington state has adopted the grape with great passion, but the plantings are not competing with Cabernet and Merlot yet. Chile planted this grape in more elevated vineyards than the more traditional Bordeaux varietals and the results are lovely to stunning. The most startling emergence for me was the Italian effort in Maremma on the Tuscan coast.
What to expect: Whether it is labeled Syrah or Shiraz it is the same grape. The climate has great effect on what you will find in the glass, and so the regional nature of the above listed areas is broad. In France you will find fruits that are red berries to black plums. The best part of French Syrah is the accent of black pepper, herbs de Provence, and smoked meat. In Australia the grape has been made into a very rich style with jammed black fruits and a very traditional accent of coconut and cedar from the American oak barrels. Washington, California and Chile have yet to establish a definitive style, but you can count on the wines being rich, weighty and full of black fruit.
