Editing Syrah (section)

== Syrah in different countries ==
Syrah is a variety that during the last few decades has been imported for cultivation in several countries. It is primarily grown in warmer regions. Worldwide plantations of Syrah have increased considerably in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and both "Syrah"-labelled and "Shiraz"-labelled wines are on the increase.<ref name="OCW Syrah" />

It is grown in many [[List of wine-producing regions|wine producing regions]] around the world, with concentrations in Australia, The Rhone Valley in France, and the US. It is often used as a blending grape in Spain and Italy as well. It is also planted in Portugal, which favor making [[varietal]] Syrah wine, and not only blending with other types.

=== Italy ===
In Italy, Syrah is grown in [[Tuscany wine|Tuscany]] (i.e. [[Cortona DOC]]), Lazio (Pontine Agro), and Apulia (Syrah Tarantino [[Indicazione geografica tipica|IGT]]). Also a DOC Sirah [[Piedmont wine|Piedmont]] exists. The region though which has made one of the best uses of Syrah, by blending it with [[Nero d'Avola]] grapes, is [[Sicily]].

=== France ===
[[File:Vignobles sur la colline dominant Tain l'Hermitage.jpg|thumb|Vineyards on the Hermitage hill are dominated by Syrah.]]
Syrah, as it is known in France, is grown throughout the [[Rhône Valley (wine)|Rhône valley]]. The wines that are made from it vary greatly, even over small changes in the location of the vines. The differences in the [[soil quality]] as well as the changes in the slope of the terrain tend to produce different styles of wine. Ranging from the mineral and tannic nature of Hermitage, to fruity and perfumed in the case of [[Côte-Rôtie AOC|Côte-Rôtie]].<ref name="oz_p_250" />

Syrah is also a key component to many blends. It may be used to add structure and color to [[Grenache]] in southern Rhône blends, including [[Côtes-du-Rhône]] and [[Châteauneuf-du-Pape]].<ref name="Jancis Robinson 2003&nbsp;g 152">{{cite book |title=Jancis Robinson's Wine Course |author=Jancis Robinson |pages=g 152 |year=2003 |publisher=Abbeville Press |isbn=978-0-7892-0883-5}}</ref> Syrah is also the only red grape used in the wines of the northern Rhône.<ref>{{cite book |title=Oxford Companion to Wine |editor=Jancis Robinson |pages=g 572 |year=2005 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-860990-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont00janc}}</ref>

In 1968, there existed only {{convert|2700|ha|acre}} of Syrah vineyards in France, primarily in the traditional appellations of northern Rhône, which at that time had not received much attention in the wine world for several decades, and the vineyards of which were not planted to full capacity. After the wines of northern Rhône were "rediscovered" by wine writers in the 1970s, plantings expanded considerably. This trend received an extra boost in the 1980s and 1990s, when influential wine writer [[Robert M. Parker Jr.]] awarded high scores, up to the "perfect" score of 100 points, to wines of some Rhône producers. The popularity of Australian Shiraz on the export market may also have played a role. In 1988, total French plantings stood at {{convert|27000|ha|acre}}, and the 1999 viticultural survey found {{convert|50700|ha|acre}} of Syrah vineyards. France thus has the world's largest plantations of Syrah.<ref name="OCW Syrah" />

While previously unused parts of the northern Rhône vineyards have been planted with Syrah as part of the expansion, the major part of the new French Syrah plantations are located in southern Rhône (which covers a much larger vineyard area than the northern part) and [[Languedoc-Roussillon wine|Languedoc-Roussillon]].<ref name="OCW Syrah" /> While southern Rhône produces relatively few wines where Syrah is in the majority, the proportion of Syrah in the blended wines of this region has been on the rise. Languedoc-Roussillon uses Syrah to produce both Southern Rhône-like blends with [[Grenache]], Australian-style blends with [[Cabernet Sauvignon]], and varietal Syrah.

Syrah vines in France often suffer from a form of dieback characterised by the leaves turning red in late summer, deep cracks developing in the stem above the [[Grafting|graft]], and the premature death of the vine. The syndrome was first observed in 1990s in the [[Gard]] and [[Hérault]] [[Departments of France|departments]] of [[South of France|Southern of France]], but is now widespread. It is believed to be caused by mismatch between the [[rootstock]] and scion rather than an infection by a fungus or a virus.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dépérissement de la Syrah |url=http://www.vignevin.com/recherche/vigne-et-terroir/deperissement-de-la-vigne/deperissement-de-la-syrah.html |publisher=Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin |access-date=4 August 2014 |language=fr |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808055617/http://www.vignevin.com/recherche/vigne-et-terroir/deperissement-de-la-vigne/deperissement-de-la-syrah.html |archive-date=8 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Brochures techniques: Dépérissement de la Syrah |url=http://www.vignevin.com/publications/brochures-techniques/deperissement-de-la-syrah.html |publisher=Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin |access-date=4 August 2014 |language=fr |archive-date=23 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090423074610/http://www.vignevin.com/publications/brochures-techniques/deperissement-de-la-syrah.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Spain ===
In Spain there was an increase in the area cultivated in Syrah grapes from {{convert|4000|ha|acre}} in 1990 to {{convert|19,045|ha|acre}} in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |title=Catálogo general de las variedades y los clones de uva de vino y de mesa |url=https://www.agromillora.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/files/VCR-Catalogo-variedades-y-clones/VCR-Catalogo-variedades-y-clones.pdf |website=Agromillora |publisher=Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo |access-date=15 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424191231/https://www.agromillora.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/files/VCR-Catalogo-variedades-y-clones/VCR-Catalogo-variedades-y-clones.pdf |archive-date=24 April 2016 |page=101 |language=es |date=2013}}</ref> It is grown primarily in [[Castilla-La Mancha]], with lesser amounts in [[Aragon]] and [[Catalan wine|Catalonia]]. As of 2015 it was the seventh most grown red grape in Spain, with {{convert|20,155|ha|acres}} accounting for 4% of the red grape total.

=== Switzerland ===
The Syrah grape was introduced into Switzerland in 1926 and in 2009 was the 6th most common red wine grape in Switzerland (181 hectares).<ref name="Wine Grapes" /> Mostly grown in [[Valais]], along the upper Rhône valley above [[Lake Geneva]], it produces "unexpectedly concentrated wine from mature vines".<ref name="Wine Grapes">Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding, José Vouillamoz ''Wine Grapes'' p. 1029, Penguin Group 2012 {{ISBN|978-1-846-14446-2}}.</ref>

=== Argentina ===
Syrah plantations in [[Argentina]] increased from less than {{convert|1000|ha|acre}} in 1990 to {{convert|9500|ha|acre}} in 2002.<ref name="OCW Syrah" /> Syrah has occasionally been used as a blending component with Argentina's signature dark-skinned grape [[Malbec]] to provide an "Argentinian take" on the Australian Cabernet-Shiraz blend.

=== Australia ===
The Syrah grape was introduced into Australia in 1832 by [[James Busby]], an immigrant who brought vine clippings from Europe with him, and it is almost invariably called "Shiraz".<ref name="oz_p_247" /> Today it is Australia's most popular red grape, but has not always been in such favour; in the 1970s, white wine was so popular that growers were ripping out unprofitable Shiraz and Grenache vineyards, even those with [[old vine]]s. In the [[Barossa Valley (wine)|Barossa Valley]], the world's oldest continually producing commercial vineyard is believed to be the Shiraz vines at [[Turkey Flat]] in [[Tanunda, South Australia|Tanunda]] that were originally planted in 1847.<ref name="Miscellany">G. Harding ''"A Wine Miscellany"'' p. 20, Clarkson Potter Publishing, New York 2005 {{ISBN|0307346358}}.</ref>

Many factors, including the success of brands like Lindemans (part of [[Treasury Wine Estates]]) and [[Jacob's Creek (wine)|Jacob's Creek]] in the UK, as well as [[Rosemount (wine)|Rosemount]] in the US and UK, were responsible for a dramatic expansion of plantings during the 1980s and 1990s; a similar trajectory occurred in California. However, the biggest factor in this expansion during the 1990s was a steady increase in exports due to the historically low value of the [[Australian dollar]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Anderson |first1=Kym |last2=Aryal |first2=Nanda R. |title=Growth and Cycles in Australia's Wine Industry: A Statistical Compendium, 1843 to 2013 |date=2015 |publisher=University of Adelaide Press |isbn=9781925261097 |page=20 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fzMIDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA20 |access-date=15 May 2018}}</ref>

In the 2005–2006 growing season, total Shiraz plantations in Australia stood at {{convert|41115|ha|acre}}, of which {{convert|39087|ha|acre}} were old enough to be productive. These vines yielded a total of 422,430 tonnes of Shiraz grapes for wine production. This made Shiraz the most planted variety in Australia<ref>[https://www.awbc.com.au/winefacts/data/free.asp?subcatid=102 Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation: Areas of vines and grape production by variety – 2005-06] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080722082133/http://www.awbc.com.au/winefacts/data/free.asp?subcatid=102 |date=2008-07-22}}, accessed on March 17, 2008.</ref> and Australia the world's second largest Syrah/Shiraz grower, after France.<ref name="OCW Syrah" />

Victorian regions include Heathcote, roughly 1.5 hours north of Melbourne. Cooler climate regions such as Western Australia's [[Margaret River]] produce Shiraz with marginally less alcohol content and often in a more traditional French style.

A well-known example of the Shiraz grape in Australian viticulture is the [[Penfolds]] [[Penfolds Grange|"Grange"]]. This wine was created by winemaker [[Max Schubert]] in 1951 and has a reputation for aging well. The Penfolds Grange is predominantly Shiraz but often includes a small quantity of Cabernet Sauvignon. It is usually a multi-regional blend of quality South Australian Shiraz, with the Barossa Valley playing an important role, and matured in new American Oak. Other well-known Australian Shiraz wines include the [[Henschke]] "Hill of Grace" and the Penfolds "RWT".

Recently, Australian Shiraz producers have started to add up to 4% [[Viognier]] to their Shiraz to add apricot tones to the wine's nose and palate. With such a small percentage added, the producer wasn't obliged to declare the blend on the label. In the past 5 years, however, it's becoming increasingly fashionable to label the wine "Shiraz Viognier" as Viognier gains consumer acceptance in the marketplace. The practise of blending [[Viognier]] with Syrah has actually been common for years in the Northern Rhône Valley region of Cote-Rotie.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/winenews051015 |author=Jancis Robinson |date=2005-10-15 |title=Viognier – it's everywhere nowadays |access-date=2006-12-20 |archive-date=2006-04-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060407174851/http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/winenews051015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

"Shiraz" is also the S in "GSM" (Grenache-Shiraz-Mourvèdre), which is common Australian designation for a Châteneuf-du-Pape-like blend.

=== South Africa ===
[[South African wine|South African]] plantations have expanded significantly, from 1% of the vineyard area in 1995 to 9.7% in 2007<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sawis.co.za/info/download/Book_2008_web.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.sawis.co.za/info/download/Book_2008_web.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |title=South African Wine Industry Statistics 2008}}</ref> making up a total area under cultivation of {{convert|9856|ha|acre}}. In South Africa, the variety is predominately known as "Shiraz", but the designation "Syrah" is used for "Rhône-style" wines.<ref name="OCW Shiraz" /> Some see this variety as the "great hope" for South African wines.<ref name=Platters>Platter's South African Wines 2009, p66</ref>

=== United States ===
[[File:Original 1986 Syrah planting at Red Willow.jpg|right|thumb|The first planting of Syrah in Washington state was done at Red Willow Vineyards in 1986.]]
In the United States, wine produced from the grape is normally called by its French name, "Syrah". However, in cases where winemakers choose to follow a New World style, similar to [[Penfolds Grange]], they may choose to label their wines as "Shiraz".<ref name="oz_p_250" /> Under American wine laws, either name may appear on the label. Syrah first appeared as a wine grape in California in the 1970s, where it was planted by a group of viticulturists who called themselves "[[Rhone rangers]]".<ref name="Jancis Robinson 2003&nbsp;g 152" /> Although most plantings of the grape are in California, there are increasing amounts of it being grown in Washington state. Syrah makes up a significant percentage of wine produced in several Washington AVAs such as the [[Naches Heights AVA]] and the [[Walla Walla AVA]]. Syrah is increasingly being grown and produced in [[Oregon (wine)|Oregon]]. Syrah is also found in small regions in [[Ohio (wine)|Ohio]].

[[File:Washington Syrah.jpg|left|thumb|A Washington Syrah from the Columbia Valley AVA]]
California Syrahs, much like those in France, vary a great deal based on the climate and ''[[terroir]]'' that they inhabit. In exceptionally warm regions, such as parts of Napa, the wine is often blended with other Rhône varieties. Other appellations, primarily mountainous ones, tend to produce varietal-based wines that can stand on their own.<ref>{{cite book |title=Oz Clarke's Encyclopedia of Grapes |author=Oz Clark&Margaret Rand |publisher=Hardcourt, inc |year=2001 |pages=gs 252–253 |isbn=978-0-15-100714-1}}</ref> Syrah was introduced into Washington state in 1986 by [[Red Willow Vineyard]] through their partnership with [[Woodinville, Washington]]-based [[Columbia Winery]] and [[Master of Wine]] [[David Lake (wine)|David Lake]].<ref name="Gregutt">P. Gregutt ''"Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide"'' pp. 17-38, 61-75, 107-109, University of California Press 2007 {{ISBN|0-520-24869-4}}.</ref> Expanding at a significant rate, it is used to produce single-varietial wines as well as being blended with grapes such as [[Grenache]], [[Mourvèdre]], [[Cinsault]] and [[Viognier]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Oz Clarke's Encyclopedia of Grapes |author=Oz Clark&Margaret Rand |publisher=Hardcourt, inc |year=2001 |page=g 253 |isbn=978-0-15-100714-1}}</ref>

=== Chile ===
Around 2005, there were {{convert|2500|ha|acre}} of Syrah in [[Chile]].<ref name="OCW Syrah" />