"What's in a name?
That which we call a Syrah/Shiraz by any other name
would smell as sweet"

With apologies to William Shakespeare for destroying his much-revered quote from Romeo and Juliet, Syrah/Shiraz has been causing some confusion over the past few years. Numerous myths and legends have existed about its origin and the differences between the two.

First off, they are the same variety. It was thought that the name came from the legend that the grape originally came from the Iranian city of Shiraz, which was brought to southern France by a returning crusader, Guy De'Sterimberg - or by the Greeks, depending on which story you are reading. It is also thought to have acquired its name from a story in which the Romans brought the grape to the Rhone Valley from Syracuse, in Italy, during their occupation.

However, DNA profiling performed by Professor Carole Meredith at the University of California at Davis, and by Jean-Michel Boursiquot at the wine research facility at Montpellier, France in 1998, determined that Syrah is indigenous to the Rhone valley of France. It is a natural cross of Dureza from the northern Ardeche region, west of the Rhone and Mondeuse Blanche, native to the Savoie region, to the east of the Rhone. How this love-match came to be is anyone’s guess but it is known that the grape was growing around the time of the Roman occupation in the 1st century AD. From France, the vine found its way to Australia courtesy of James Busby, who, after studying viticulture in France, took 437 vine cuttings with him to Australia in 1831.

In Australia it is the most widely planted grape, typically representing 40% of the red grape crush and one-fifth of total grape production. There are distinctive styles of Shiraz that have emerged. It can be made into a wide scope of styles, defined by the terroir of the region and the winemakers' artistry, ranging from the elegant, peppery cool climate styles (Heathcote in Victoria) to the more intensely flavoured spicy styles of Coonawarra and Margaret River, to powerful and minty styles(Clare Valley), sweet and chocolaty (McLaren Vale), muscular and ripe-fruited (Barossa), all the way to leathery and rich (Hunter Valley). In an attempt to allow regional characters to be expressed, many winemakers are moving away from 100% new American oak and are preferring the use of older barrels and/or French oak. The result is an abundance of new styles with finesse and complexity.

Recognized as Shiraz mainly in Australia, some Shiraz’s are also produced in California. A relative newcomer to California, vine cuttings were brought to California only in 1936 by Dr. Harold P. Olmo of the University of California, Davis. However, it has only been in the last decade that the U.S. has gone ga-ga for Syrah/Shiraz.

Syrah, on the other hand, is known for the big, muscular wines of the northern Rhone and as one of the varieties for the production of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In the northern Rhone these varieties are not categorized as Syrah but are labelled as Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, and Cote Rôtie. Here the grape produces a wine that is raspberry and blackcurrant-scented with hints of cherry, smoke, and roasted meat. In the southern Rhone, it is used as blending material where it provides the necessary colour and fragrance.

To further confuse matters, there is a variety called Petite Sirah that is actually a cross-pollination with a French grape called Durif and a variety called Peloursin. This grape was developed by a Dr. Durif around 1880 in his experimental vineyard at the University of Montpellier in southern France.

Whichever style you favour, there is no denying the fact this grape is becoming very popular. If you have not tried either style yet, get down to your local bottle shop, pick up a few, and have a Syrah-Shiraz party. That is what wine is for...enjoyment with family and friends.

In Vino Veritas


Weekend Wine Picks: A selection of Shiraz/Syrah

One of the top selling wines in BC, the 2007 Obikwa Shiraz ($10-$12 PWS & GLS) is truly remarkable at this price. Displaying characteristics of a wine at a much larger price point, this wine is full of rich, smoky/roasted red peppers, blackberry, cassis, and blueberry, with hints of prunes, licorice, leather, black olives and savoury herbs. The texture on the palate is medium-bodied with prune, blackberry, leather, tobacco, and menthol. Soft acidity and medium tannins round out this spectacular QPR. Excellent with grilled baby back ribs, lamb chops, or steak.

This wine is a perennial great buy in BC: The 2006 Jackson Triggs Reserve Shiraz ($16.90 PWS) seems to be a repeat of the very successful ’05. Displaying an abundant, heady aroma of rich cassis, blackberry, and raspberry jam-like qualities with vanilla, chocolate, and smoke, the texture on the palate is pure hedonism with its lush black fruit texture with hints of vanilla, chocolate and leather with velvety soft acidity and firm tannins. A very well balanced wine, it can be enjoyed now for the sheer pleasure of it or cellared for another 3-5 years.

Co-fermented with 4% Viognier, the 2007 Road 13 Syrah ($30 PWS) is spectacular. Loaded to the brim with intense black fruit aromas and flavours, the texture on the palate is super concentrated with soft, lush acidity, and very firm tannins.

A stunning follow-up to the phenomenal 2005, the 2006 CedarCreek Syrah ($44) is a deep, rich colour, loaded to the brim with tons of blackberry, cassis, and black plum jam-like fruit. With hints of chocolate, licorice, tar, roasted meat, sage, smoke, menthol and vanilla, the palate is rich, lush and spicy with lots of black fruit, spicy pepper, crisp, smoky acidity and full-bodied tannins. Sourced from a single vineyard located near Osoyoos, the wine was aged for 18 months in French Oak. It drinks exceptional well now but will improve with further aging. Enjoy now for its youthfulness or cellar another 7-10 years.

One of the best buy BBQ reds on the market, the 2006 Trivento Syrah ($14.90) is a tasty little wine, loaded with savoury blackberry, cassis, black plum, and blueberry fruit aromas with hints of roasted sausage, roasted red peppers, licorice, chocolate, vanilla, cedar and spicy pepper. The texture is chunky and full with ripe black fruit, pepper, tobacco leaf, cedar and smoke. Rich velvety finish with soft acidity and ultra-firm tannins, this wine could do with some cellaring but it is perfect with any type of grilled red meats.

The 2006 Katnook Coonawarra Shiraz ($20-$23 PWS & GLS) is chock full of super-ripe blackberry, blueberry, boysenberry and cassis-like character with licorice, menthol, roasted coffee beans, and tobacco leaf. The palate is rich and lush with juicy black fruit, black pepper spice, velvety soft acidity and firm tannins. An absolutely killer red from the cool climate Coonawarra region of South Australia.