Syrah

Also known as

Shiraz/Syrah

Syrah is a black-skinned red-wine grape from France, with a long history in the Rhône Valley. DNA testing in 1999 showed it is the offspring of two obscure Rhône varieties: the black grape Dureza and the white grape Mondeuse Blanche. Older stories traced it to Persia, Syracuse, or Greece, but those have been disproven.

Today Syrah is grown around the world. France remains the largest grower, especially in the northern Rhône, where it powers Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie, and across the south. Australia, where it is known as Shiraz, has the second-largest plantings, and significant vineyards exist in Spain, Argentina, South Africa, Chile, Italy, the United States, and New Zealand.

Syrah makes deeply coloured, full-bodied wines with tannins and acidity that help the wines age. In cooler sites it tends toward blackberry, black pepper, mint, smoked meat, and savoury notes. In hotter climates it ripens into jammier dark fruit with liquorice, dark chocolate, and leather. It is made both as a single varietal and in blends, often with Grenache.