Syrah: Back to Winemaking – Back to Grapes – Back to Countries
Top thirteen grapes:
Reds – Cabernet Franc – Cabernet Sauvignon – Malbec – Merlot –
Whites – Chardonnay – Gewürztraminer – Muscat –
Pinot blanc – Pinot gris – Riesling – Sauvignon blanc
Next twenty-five grapes:
Reds – Barbera – Carignan – Gamay – Grenache – Mourvèdre – Petit Verdot –
Sangiovese – Tannat – Tempranillo – Touriga Nacional – Zweigelt
Whites – Albariño – Aligoté – Arinto – Chenin blanc – Malvasia –
Müller-Thurgau – Muscat-Ottonel – Sémillon – Tămâioasă Românească –
Traminer – Ugni-blanc – Viognier – Welschriesling
– and Cava
| Syrah has been claimed as originating from Syracuse in Sicily (prompting Syrah), or from Shiraz in ancient Persia (supplying its New World name). If not from Syracuse or Shiraz, others claim it came from an ancient Rhône variety that produced wine in Roman times. DNA research concludes it originated in Northern Rhône, though does not provide an original date.  Shiraz was the capital of the Persian Empire and under the Achaemenid dynasty (705-330 BCE) produced a notable Shirazi wine. Legend suggests that grapes were taken from there to the Rhône. This is either ascribed to the Phoenicians or Greeks and the Massilia colony near today’s Marseilles and the Rhône river. Perhaps in support of this, the Persian word syah or siah means black. But this is confused by the Celtic word for the billhook used in pruning vined, a serra, Pliny the Elder in his Naturalis Historia (77CE) described the fine wines of Vienne (today’s Côte-Rôtie, Rhône) and praised its dark-skinned grape variety, it had not existed fifty-years earlier for Virgil to mention in his writings. In 1999, Syrah was found to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern France, Dureza (father) and Mondeuse Blanche (mother). Dureza was a dark-skinned grape variety from the Ardèche region in France. Mondeuse blanche is a white grape variety cultivated in the Savoie region, still found there in small amounts. In 1832, James Busby, the ‘father of Australian viticulture’ took cuttings of Syrah (then called Scyras) to Australia from Montpelier. Langmeils in South Australia’s Barossa Valley claims the world’s oldest surviving Shiraz vines, dating back to 1843. |
 Image: www.vintageroots.co.uk Taste/smell: Blueberry, Black Plum, Black Cherry, Black and Green Pepper, Wet leaves, Chocolate, Spice, Tobacco, Leather, Brambles.  Image source: kegnbottle.com Varieties/Mutations Petite Sirah (or Durif after its propagator) is an 1880 cross of Syrah with Peloursin – this is more full-bodied and tannic because of the smaller, thicker-skinned grapes used. Prominent Syrah/Shiraz wines: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Cornas, Côte Rôtie, Côtes du Rhône, Gigondas, Hermitage, Saint-Joseph. |  Description: Image source: www.plantgrape.fr The Syrah vine produces small, dark-skinned elli[psoid berries that grow in small bunches, producing naturally high, but not too high, acidity and tannins. It has medium, large, pentagonal, five-lobed and three-lobed adult leaves. The tip of its young shoots have a high density of prostrate hairs. When young the leaves are green. It produces medium, cylindrical, sparse bunches of ovoid (egg-like) grapes. The grapes have a violet reflection.  Image source: www.plantgrape.fr |
Syrah/Shiraz producing countries: Image source: OIV – Syrah/Shiraz countries Big Five Producers: (overall 42% of vineyards, 64% of wine production and 41% of wine consumption – OIV 2022) Spain: Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Castilla y León and Extremadura. France: Languedoc, Provence and Rhône. Italy: Lombardy and Tuscany. USA: California and Pennsylvania. Chile: Coquimbo and Maipo Valley. | Northern Rhône produces in Côte Rôtie (the roasted slope), Hermitage, Cornas and Saint-Joseph. Southern Rhône produces Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas and Côtes du Rhône. The latter blends Syrah with other local grape varieties Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache, Mourvèdre.  Image source: northernhope.com.au |
| Next Ten Largest Producers: (with big five, responsible overall for 75% of vineyards, 88% of wine production, 64% of wine consumption – OIV 2022) Argentina: Catamarca, Jujuy, La Rioja, Mendoza, Patagonia and San Juan. Australia: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, South West Australia and Victoria China: Xinjang. Germany: Baden and Pfalz, India: Karnataka, Nashik and Pune. New Zealand: Auckland, Hawkes Bay, and Northland. Portugal: Bairrada and Tejo. Romania: Transylvania. South Africa: Cape South Coast, Cape Winelands, Coastal Region, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Olifants River, Plettenburg Bay and Western Cape. Turkey: Aegean, Anatolia and Thrace. Others countries growing Syrah/Shiraz: Brazil, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, India, Peru, Slovenia, Switzerland, Uruguay | Grape is also known as: Antournerein, Antournerein noir, Anzher Muskatnyi, Balsamina, Biaune, Blauer Syrah, Bragiola, Candive, Damaszener blau, Di Santi, Entourneirein, Entournerin, Ermitage, Hermitage, Hignin noir, Marsanne noir, Marsanne noire, Neretto del Beinale (Spain), Neiretta Cunese, Neiretta del Monregalese, Neiretta del Rosso,Neretto di Saluzzo, Petite Sirrah, Petit Syrah, Petite Syras, Plant de la Bianne , Plant de la Biaune, Schiras, Scyras, Sérène, Serene, Serine, Serine noir, Serinne, Sevene, Shiras, Shiraz Shyrac, Sira, Sirac, Sirah, Sirah Marsanne noir, Syra, Syrac Syrah, Zagarese (Italy), Zizak (Montenegro)…  |
Image source: southamericawineguide.com
Syrah: Back to Winemaking – Back to Grapes – Back to Countries
Top thirteen grapes:
Reds – Cabernet Franc – Cabernet Sauvignon – Malbec – Merlot –
Whites – Chardonnay – Gewürztraminer – Muscat –
Pinot blanc – Pinot gris – Riesling – Sauvignon blanc
Next twenty-five grapes:
Reds – Barbera – Carignan – Gamay – Grenache – Mourvèdre – Petit Verdot –
Sangiovese – Tannat – Tempranillo – Touriga Nacional – Zweigelt
Whites – Albariño – Aligoté – Arinto – Chenin blanc – Malvasia –
Müller-Thurgau – Muscat-Ottonel – Sémillon – Tămâioasă Românească –
Traminer – Ugni-blanc – Viognier – Welschriesling
– and Cava
