Syrah

The Syrah is a red grape with debated origins, but its renaissance and modern home is in France, precisely in the Rhone Valley. In Australia, Syrah, known as Shiraz has developed such a distinct personality that it is essentially regarded as a distinct grape variety.

The Syrah name seems to come from the city of Shiraz, in Persia, but DNA analysis also indicated affinity with the Teroldego and the Lagrein grapes from Trentino Alto Adige. In Italy Syrah is grown everywhere, from Aosta Valley to Sicily, but is more often cultivated in the central and southern Italy because it produces better results in warmer regions. Syrah is also now widely found in Tuscany where it is used in Supertuscany blends or bottled on its own. The Cortona area, south of Tuscany, has proved to produce outstanding and age worth Syrah wines.

The grape has proved successful around the world and Syrah wines are produced in many styles, both as part of a blend due to its deep color and high tannins or on its own. Syrah can produce very complex wines capable of aging and improving over many decades but can be quite floral when young, becoming spiced as it ages.