Editing Syrah

{{Short description|Dark-skinned grape variety}}
{{Distinguish|Petite Sirah|Shiraz, Iran}}
{{Infobox grape variety
| name         = Shiraz (Syrah)
| vivc_number  = 11748
| image        = Syrah.jpg
| caption      = The Shiraz [[grape cluster]], illustration from [[:fr:Ampélographie. Traité général de viticulture|Ampélographie]] (Viala et Vermorel, 1902)
| color        = Noir
| color_alt    = Black
| also_called  = Shiraz, Hermitage, Antourenein noir, Candive [[#Synonyms|other synonyms]]
| regions      = [[Rhône wine|Rhône Valley]], [[California wine regions|California]], [[Texas wine regions|Texas]], [[Columbia Valley AVA|Columbia Valley]], [[Grand Valley AVA|Grand Valley]], Australia ([[Barossa Valley (wine)|Barossa Valley]], [[Hunter Valley wine country|Hunter Valley]], [[McLaren Vale]]), [[New Zealand wine|New Zealand]]
| wines        = [[Côte-Rôtie AOC|Côte-Rôtie]], [[Hermitage AOC|Hermitage]]
| soil         = Stony granite
| wine_general = High tannins, high acidity, blackberry, dark chocolate
| wine_cool    =
| wine_medium  = Mint, eucalyptus, smoked meat, black pepper
| wine_hot     = Liquorice, cloves, espresso, mocha, dark chocolate
| wine_age     = Leather, wet leaves, earth
}}

'''Syrah''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|iː||r|ɑː}}), also known as '''Shiraz''', is a dark-skinned [[grape variety]] grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce [[red wine]]. In 1999, Syrah was found to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern [[France (wine)|France]], [[Dureza]] and [[Mondeuse blanche|Mondeuse Blanche]].<ref name="Syrah WW Origins" /> Syrah should not be confused with [[Petite Sirah]], a cross of Syrah with [[Peloursin]] dating from 1880.

The style and flavor profile of wines made from Syrah are influenced by the [[climate]] where the grapes are grown. In moderate climates (such as the northern [[Rhone Valley (wine)|Rhone Valley]] and parts of the [[Walla Walla AVA]] in [[Washington State (wine)|Washington State]]), they tend to produce [[body (wine)|medium to full-bodied]] wines with medium-plus to high levels of [[tannins in wine|tannins]] and notes of blackberry, [[Mentha|mint]] and [[black pepper]].

In hot climates (such as [[Crete]], and the [[Barossa Valley]] and [[McLaren Vale]] regions of [[Australia (wine)|Australia]]), Syrah is more consistently full-bodied with softer tannin, jammier fruit and spice notes of [[licorice]], [[anise]] and earthy leather.

In many regions the [[acid (wine)|acidity]] and tannin levels of Syrah allow the wines produced to have favorable [[aging potential]].<ref name="WSET">Wine & Spirits Education Trust ''"Wine and Spirits: Understanding Wine Quality"'' pp. 6-9, Second Revised Edition (2012), London, {{ISBN|9781905819157}}.</ref>

Syrah is used as a single [[varietal]] or as a blend. Following several years of strong planting, Syrah was estimated in 2004 to be the world's 7th most grown grape at {{convert|142600|ha|acre}}.<ref name="OCW Vine varieties">Entry on ''"Vine varieties"'' in J. Robinson (ed) ''The Oxford Companion to Wine'' Third Edition, p. 746, Oxford University Press 2006, {{ISBN|0-19-860990-6}}.</ref>

It can be found throughout the globe from France to [[New World wine]] regions such as: [[Chile (wine)|Chile]], [[South Africa (wine)|South Africa]], the [[Hawke's Bay]] and [[Waiheke]] in [[New Zealand (wine)|New Zealand]], [[California (wine)|California]] and [[Washington (state)|Washington]].

It can also be found in several Australian wine regions such as the [[Barossa Valley|Barossa]], [[Heathcote wine region|Heathcote]], [[Coonawarra wine region|Coonawarra]], [[Hunter Valley (wine)|Hunter Valley]], [[Margaret River (wine)|Margaret River]], [[Adelaide Hills]], [[Clare Valley]] and [[McLaren Vale]].<ref name="WSET" />

== History ==
=== Origin ===
Syrah has a long documented history in the [[Rhône]] region of southeastern France, but it was not known if it had originated in that region.

A 1998 study conducted by [[Carole Meredith]]'s research group in the [[UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology|Department of Viticulture and Enology]] at [[University of California, Davis]] used [[DNA typing]] and extensive grape reference material from [[École Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Montpellier|the viticultural research station in Montpellier]], France to conclude that Syrah was the offspring of the grape varieties [[Dureza]] (father) and [[Mondeuse blanche]] (mother).<ref name="Syrah WW Origins">{{Cite web |url=http://www.tenimentidalessandro.it/en/download/SyrahENG.pdf |title=Syrah WORLDWIDE ROMA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108201113/http://www.tenimentidalessandro.it/en/download/SyrahENG.pdf |archive-date=2012-01-08}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://www.actahort.org/books/528/528_15.htm|pages=129–132|doi=10.17660/ActaHortic.2000.528.15|title=A Single Pair of Parents Proposed for a Group of Grapevine Varieties in Northeastern France|journal=Acta Horticulturae|id=Proceedings of the Seventh International Symposium on Grapevine Genetics and Breeding|issue=528|year=2000|last1=Bowers|first1=J.E|last2=Siret|first2=R|last3=Meredith|first3=C.P|last4=This|first4=P|last5=Boursiquot|first5=J.-M|access-date=2008-02-15|archive-date=2018-06-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180601203352/https://www.actahort.org/books/528/528_15.htm|url-status=dead|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>[http://www.nature.com/hdy/journal/v97/n2/full/6800842a.html Vouillamoz, J.F. and Grando, M.S. 2006. "Genealogy of wine grape cultivars: 'Pinot' is related to 'Syrah'", ''Heredity'' 97:102–110] Quote: "Our data strongly confirmed the 'Syrah' parentage ('Dureza' x 'Mondeuse blanche') established by Bowers et al."
</ref><ref name="oz_p_247">{{cite book |title=Oz Clarke's Encyclopedia of Grapes |author=Oz Clark&Margaret Rand |publisher=Hardcourt, inc |year=2001 |pages=g 247 |isbn=978-0-15-100714-1}}</ref><ref name="OCW Syrah">Entry on ''"Syrah"'' in J. Robinson (ed), ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'', Third Edition, pp. 676-677, Oxford University Press 2006, {{ISBN|0-19-860990-6}}.</ref>

[[File:Rhones Alpes region with Ardeche, Drome, Isere and Savoie highlighted.png|left|thumb|The [[Rhône-Alpes]] region. [[Dureza]] is believed to have originated in the [[Ardèche]] (#1) in the southwest and moved east/northeast into [[Drôme]] (#2) and [[Isère]] (#3). Somewhere in this area, most likely in Isère, the vine crossed with [[Mondeuse blanche]], a variety native to the [[Savoie]] region (#4), to produce Syrah.]]
Dureza, a dark-skinned grape variety from the [[Ardèche]] region in France, has all but disappeared from the vineyards, and the preservation of such varieties is a speciality of [[Montpellier]]. Mondeuse blanche is a white grape variety cultivated in the [[Savoie]] region, and is still found in small amounts in that region's vineyards today.

Both varieties are somewhat obscure today, and have never achieved anything near Syrah's fame or popularity, and there is no record of them ever having been cultivated at long distances from their present homes. Thus, both of Syrah's parents come from a limited area in southeastern France, close to northern Rhône. Based on these findings, the researchers have concluded Syrah originated from northern Rhône.<ref name="Syrah WW Origins" /><ref name="OCW Syrah" />

The DNA typing leaves no room for doubt in this matter, and the numerous other hypotheses of the grape's origin which have been forwarded during the years all completely lack support in the form of documentary evidence or [[ampelography|ampelographic]] investigations, be it by methods of classical [[botany]] or DNA.

Instead, they seem to have been based primarily or solely on the name or synonyms of the variety. Varying [[orthography]] for grape names render dubious any name-based evidence of origins. Nevertheless, origins such as [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]] or the famous Iranian city of [[Shiraz]] had been proposed while the genomic studies had yet to be done.<ref name="OCW Syrah" />

The parentage information, however, does not reveal how old the grape variety is, i.e., when the pollination of a Mondeuse blanche vine by Dureza took place, leading to the original Syrah seed plant. In the year 77 CE, [[Pliny the Elder]] wrote in his ''[[Natural History (Pliny)|Naturalis Historia]]'' about the wines of [[Vienne, Isère|Vienne]] (which today would be called [[Côte-Rôtie]]), where the [[Allobroges]] made famous and prized wine from a dark-skinned grape variety that had not existed some 50 years earlier, in [[Virgil]]'s age.

<ref name="OCW Rhône">Entry on ''"Rhône"'' in J. Robinson (ed), ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'', Third Edition, pp. 572-573, Oxford University Press 2006, {{ISBN|0-19-860990-6}}.</ref> Pliny called the vines of this wine ''Allobrogica'', and it has been speculated that it could be today's Syrah. However, the description of the wine would also fit, for example, Dureza,<ref name="Syrah WW Origins" /> and Pliny's observation that vines of Allobrogica were resistant to cold is not entirely consistent with Syrah.<ref name="OCW Rhône" />

=== The names Syrah and Shiraz===
[[File:Shiraz Grapes.jpg|thumb|right|Clusters of Syrah grapes]]

The grape's many other synonyms are used in various parts of the world, including ''Antourenein noir'', ''Balsamina'', ''Candive'', ''Entournerein'', ''Hignin noir'', ''Marsanne noir'', ''Schiras'', ''Sirac'', ''Syra'', ''Syrac'', ''Serine'', and ''Sereine''.<ref name="Jancis">Jancis Robinson ''Vines, Grapes & Wine'' p. 90, Octopus Publishing 1986 {{ISBN|978-1-85732-999-5}}.</ref>

Legends of Syrah's origins often connect it with the city of [[Shiraz]] in [[ancient Iran]].<ref name="OCW Shiraz">Entry on ''"Shiraz"'' in J. Robinson (ed), ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine'', Third Edition, p. 627, Oxford University Press 2006, {{ISBN|0-19-860990-6}}.</ref> The former capital of the [[Persian Empire]] under the [[Achaemenid dynasty]] produced the well-known [[Shirazi wine]],<ref name="OCW Persia">Entry on ''"Persia"'' in J. Robinson (ed), ''The Oxford Companion to Wine'', Third Edition, pp. 512–513, Oxford University Press 2006, {{ISBN|0-19-860990-6}}.</ref> and legends claim the original grape was later brought to the [[Rhône]].<ref name="OCW Persia"/> At least two significantly different versions of the myth are reported, giving different accounts of how the grape variety is supposed to have travelled, differing up to 1,800 years in dating the event.<ref name="OCW Rhône"/> 

In one version, the [[Phocaeans]] could have brought Syrah to their colony around [[Marseille]], then known as [[Massilia]], an [[Greek colonisation|ancient Greek colony]] (''apoikia'') on the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean coast]], east of the Rhône, which was founded around 600 BCE by the [[ancient Greeks]].<ref name="OCW Rhône"/> The grape would then later have spread to the northern Rhône, which was never colonized by the Phocaeans.<ref name="OCW Rhône"/> No documentary evidence exists to back up this legend, and it also requires the variety to later vanish from the Marseille region without leaving any trace.<ref name="OCW Rhône"/>

[[File:Syrah leaf.JPG|left|thumb|Syrah leaf]]
The legend connecting Syrah's origins with the city of [[Shiraz]] in [[ancient Iran]] may, however, be of French origin. [[James Busby]] wrote in his ''Journal of a recent visit to the principal vineyards of Spain and France'' an excerpt from the 1826 book ''Œnologie Française''; "according to the tradition of the neighbourhood, the plant [Scyras] was originally brought from Shiraz in Persia, by one of the hermits of the mountain" called Gaspare de Stérimberg.<ref name=jbjourn81>{{cite book |last=Busby |first=James |title=Journal of a recent visit to the principal vineyards of Spain and France |year=1834 |page=[https://archive.org/details/journalarecentv00busbgoog/page/n126 108] |publisher=Smith, Elder |url=https://archive.org/details/journalarecentv00busbgoog |quote=1826 scyras shiraz.}}</ref>

There is a connection between the name ''Syrah'' and the [[Persian language|Persian]] word "سیاه" (pronounced ''siah'' or ''syah'', meaning "black"). It refers to the origin of this grape, which comes from black grapes and shows connection between the city of Shiraz and this grape.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hugh |first=Johnson |title=The Story of Wine |publisher=Mitchell Beazley |year=2004 |isbn=1-84000-972-1 |edition=New Illustrated |pages=58 & p. 131}}</ref> Another legend of the grape variety's origin, based on the name ''Syrah'', is that it was brought from [[Syracuse, Italy|Syracuse]] by the legions of [[Roman Emperor]] [[Marcus Aurelius Probus|Probus]] sometime after 280 CE.<ref name="OCW Rhône"/> This legend also lacks documentary evidence and is inconsistent with ampelographic findings.<ref name="OCW Rhône"/>

Another proposed etymology links it with the [[Proto-Celtic language|Proto-Celtic]] word *''serra'' '[[billhook]]', presumably because the billhook was used in [[pruning]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.old-north.co.uk/Holding/celt_britlatin.html |title=The Old North |website=www.old-north.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.popular-babynames.com/name/syrah |title=NAMES - The Name Syrah : popularity, meaning and origin, popular baby names |website=Popular-BabyNames.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YN_YPQAACAAJ&q=%22proto+celtic%22%22serra%22 |title=Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic |first=Ranko |last=Matasović |date=February 11, 2009 |publisher=Brill |isbn=9789004173361 |via=Google Books}}</ref>

The name "Shiraz" has been used primarily in [[Australia]] in modern times, where it has long been established as the most grown dark-skinned variety. In Australia, it was also commonly called [[Hermitage AOC|Hermitage]] up to the late 1980s, but since that name became a French [[Protected Designation of Origin]], this naming practice caused a problem in some export markets and was dropped. The name "Scyras" was used to describe the grape in the earliest Australian documents, and "Shiraz" has been speculated (among others by [[Jancis Robinson]])<ref name="Jancis"/> to have come about through the "[[Strine|strinization]]" of the original word, a process of changing vowels as part of Australian slang. However, while the names "Shiraz" and "Hermitage" gradually replaced "Scyras" in Australia from the mid-19th century, the spelling "Shiraz" has also been documented in British sources back to at least the 1830s.<ref name=jbjourn81 /><ref name=gentmag1834>{{cite journal |journal=Gentleman's Magazine |volume=157 |last=Redding |first=Cyrus |title=History of Wines |date=July 1834 |pages=7–11 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y2OYNXvykVcC&q=%22Gentleman's%20Magazine%22%20%22Hermitage%20is%20grown%20from%20the%20Shiraz%20grape%20of%20Persia%22&pg=PA8}}</ref><ref name=crhist>{{cite book |last=Redding |first=Cyrus |title=A history and description of modern wines |year=1836 |page=20 |publisher=Whittaker & co. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zyxEAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Hermitage%20is%20now%20produced%20from%20the%20Scyras%2C%20or%20Shiraz%22%20%22Cyrus%20Redding%22&pg=PA20}}</ref> So while the name or spelling "Shiraz" may be an effect of the [[English language]] on a French name, there is no evidence that it actually originated in Australia, although it was definitely the Australian usage and the Australian wines that made the use of this name popular.

=== Rise to fame ===
The wines that made Syrah famous were those from Hermitage, the hill above the town [[Tain-l'Hermitage]] in northern Rhône, where an [[Hermitage (religious retreat)|hermitage]] ([[chapel]]) was built on the top, and where De Stérimberg is supposed to have settled as a [[hermit]] after his crusades. Hermitage wines have for centuries had a reputation for being powerful and excellent. While Hermitage was quite famous in the 18th and 19th centuries, and attracted interest from foreign [[oenophile]]s, such as [[Bordeaux wine|Bordeaux]] enthusiast [[Thomas Jefferson]], it lost ground and foreign attention in the first half of the 20th century.<ref name="OCW Hermitage">Entry on ''"Hermitage"'' in J. Robinson (ed), ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'', Third Edition, p. 344, Oxford University Press 2006, {{ISBN|0-19-860990-6}}.</ref>

In the 18th and the first half of the 19th centuries, most Hermitage wine that left France did so as a blending component in Bordeaux wines. In an era when "[[claret]]s" were less powerful than today, and before appellation rules, red wines from warmer regions would be used for improvement (or [[adulteration]], depending on the point of view) of Bordeaux wines. While Spanish and Algerian wines are also known to have been used for this purpose, top Bordeaux châteaux would use Hermitage to improve their wines, especially in weaker vintages.<ref name="oz_p_247" /><ref name="OCW Adulteration and fraud">Entry on ''"Adulteration and fraud"'' in J. Robinson (ed), ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'', Third Edition, pp. 4-5, Oxford University Press 2006, {{ISBN|0-19-860990-6}}.</ref>

=== Arrival in Australia ===
In 1831, the Scotsman [[James Busby]], often called "the Father of Australian viticulture", made a trip back to Europe to collect [[cuttings (vine)|cuttings]] from vines (primarily from France and [[Spain]]) for introduction to Australia.<ref name="OCW Busby">Entry on ''"Busby, James"'' in J. Robinson (ed), ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'', Third Edition, p. 116, Oxford University Press 2006, {{ISBN|0-19-860990-6}}.</ref> One of the varieties collected by him was Syrah, although Busby used the two spellings "Scyras" and "Ciras". The cuttings were planted in the [[Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney|Royal Botanic Garden]], and in [[Hunter Valley]], and in 1839 brought from Sydney to [[South Australia]].<ref name="Syrah WW Austrlia">{{Cite web |url=http://www.tenimentidalessandro.it/eng/club/SyrahENG.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060512112058/http://www.tenimentidalessandro.it/eng/club/SyrahENG.pdf |url-status=dead |title=James Halliday: Syrah in Australia since 1800, pp. 10-14 in: The Syrah Producers' Club 19 April 2004 – Syrah Worldwide Roma |archivedate=May 12, 2006}}</ref> By the 1860s, Syrah was established as an important variety in Australia.

=== Modern history ===
Syrah continues to be the main grape of the northern Rhône and is associated with classic wines such as [[Hermitage AOC|Hermitage]], [[Cornas AOC|Cornas]] and [[Côte-Rôtie AOC|Côte-Rôtie]]. In the southern Rhône, it is used as a blending grape in such wines as [[Châteauneuf-du-Pape]], [[Gigondas AOC|Gigondas]] and [[Côtes du Rhône AOC|Côtes du Rhône]], where [[Grenache]] usually makes up the bulk of the blend. Although its best incarnations will [[aging wine|age]] for decades, less-extracted styles may be enjoyed young for their lively red and blueberry characters and smooth [[tannin (wine)|tannin]] structure. Syrah has been widely used as a blending grape in the red wines of many countries due to its fleshy fruit mid-palate, balancing the weaknesses of other varieties and resulting in a "complete" wine.

From the 1970s and even more from the 1990s, Syrah has enjoyed increased popularity, and plantings of the variety have expanded significantly in both old and new locations.<ref name="OCW Syrah" /> In the early 2000s, it broke into the top 10 of varieties planted worldwide for the first time.<ref name="OCW Vine varieties" />

== Shiraz wines ==
{{For|the no-longer-produced historical wine|Shiraz wine}}
[[File:Boushey Syrah.JPG|right|thumb|A Shiraz from Washington State]]
The name "Shiraz", from [[Shiraz]] in [[Iran]], was historically applied to a wine unrelated to contemporary Shiraz wines and was made from a grape or grapes entirely different from the Syrah that has been proven to originate in southeastern France.<ref>J. Robinson (ed), ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'', Third Edition, p. 676, Oxford University Press 2006, {{ISBN|0-19-860990-6}}.</ref>

Smaller amounts of Syrah are also used in the production of other wine styles, such as [[rosé wine]], [[fortified wine]] in [[Port wine]] style, and sparkling red wine.<ref>{{cite book |author=Karen MacNeil |title=The Wine Bible |pages=g 786 |publisher=Workman Publishing Company |year=2001 |isbn=978-1-56305-434-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/winebible00kare}}</ref> While Australian [[sparkling Shiraz]] traditionally have had some sweetness, a number of Australian winemakers also make a full-bodied sparkling dry Shiraz, which contains the complexity and sometimes earthy notes that are normally found in still wine.<ref>{{cite news |title=RED FIZZ Australian-style red bubbly is a grown-up pleasure |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/05/26/WIGO9CSFBM1.DTL |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |author=W. Blake Gray |date= 2005-05-26 |access-date=2006-10-14}}</ref>

Due to their concentrated flavours and high [[grape tannins|tannin]] content, many premium Syrah wines are at their best after some considerable bottle aging. In exceptional cases, this may be 15 years or longer.

Syrah has one of the highest recommended [[wine serving temperature]]s at 18&nbsp;°C (65&nbsp;°F).<ref>Bonné, Jon, msnbc.com (September 21, 2005). [https://web.archive.org/web/20050924010752/http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9392760/ The perfect temperature for wine].</ref>

=== Taste and flavours ===
Wines made from Syrah are often powerfully flavoured and full-bodied. The variety produces wines with a wide range of flavor notes, depending on the climate and soils where it is grown, as well as other [[viticulture|viticultural]] practices chosen. Aroma characters can range from violets to berries (usually dark as opposed to red), chocolate, and black pepper. No one aroma can be called typical though blackberry, coffee and pepper are often noticed. With time in the bottle these primary notes are moderated and then supplemented with earthy or savory tertiary notes such as leather and truffle. Secondary flavor and aroma notes are those associated with several things, generally winemakers' practices (such as [[Wine barrel|oak barrel]] and [[yeast (wine)|yeast]] treatment).

C13-[[Norisoprenoid]]s such as {{chem name|[[7,8-dihydroionone]]}} derivatives, such as {{chem name|[[megastigmane-3,9-diol]]}} and {{chem name|[[3-oxo-7,8-dihydro-α-ionol]]}}, are found in Shiraz leaves.<ref>{{cite book |doi=10.1021/bk-2002-0802.ch018 |chapter=C13-Norisoprenoid Aglycon Composition of Leaves and Grape Berries from Muscat of Alexandria and Shiraz Cultivars|title=Carotenoid-Derived Aroma Compounds |volume=802 |pages=255 |series=ACS Symposium Series |year=2001 |last1=Günata |first1=Ziya |last2=Wirth |first2=Jérémie L |last3=Guo |first3=Wenfei |last4=Baumes |first4=Raymond L |isbn=978-0-8412-3729-2}}</ref>

=== Syrah or Shiraz on labels ===
[[File:Walla walla Syrah.jpg|left|thumb|A New World wine labeled as ''Syrah'']]
The Syrah-dominated [[Appellation d'origine contrôlée|appellations]] (AOCs) of northern Rhône have, like most other French appellations and regions, no tradition of [[varietal]] labeling of their wines. Indeed, such practices are generally disallowed under AOC rules, and only the AOC name (such as Cote-Rotie, Crozes-Hermitage or Hermitage) appears on the label. Varietal labeling of Syrah/Shiraz wines is therefore a practice that has emerged in the New World, primarily in Australia.

To confuse matters, in northern Rhône, different clones of genuine Syrah are referred to as ''Petite '''Syrah''''' (small Syrah) or ''Gros Syrah'' (large Syrah) depending on the size of their berries, with ''Petite Syrah'' being considered the superior version, giving wines higher in [[phenolic compounds in wine|phenolics]].<ref name="OCW Syrah" />

As a general rule, most Australian and South African wines are labeled "Shiraz", and most European wines (from such regions where varietal labeling is practiced) are labeled "Syrah". In other countries, practices vary and winemakers (or wine marketers) sometimes choose either "Syrah" or "Shiraz" to signify a stylistic difference in the wine they have made. "Syrah"-labelled wines are sometimes thought to be more similar to classic Northern Rhône reds; presumably more elegant, tannic, smoke-flavoured and restrained with respect to their fruit component. "Shiraz"-labelled wines, on the other hand, would then be more similar to archetypical Australian or other New World examples, presumably made from [[riper berries (wine)|riper berries]], more fruit-driven, higher in alcohol, less obviously tannic, peppery rather than smokey, usually more easily approached when young, and possibly slightly sweetish in impression. It must, however, be realized that this rule of thumb is unevenly applied.<ref name="oz_p_250">{{cite book |title=Oz Clarke's Encyclopedia of Grapes |author=Oz Clark&Margaret Rand |publisher=Hardcourt, inc |year=2001 |pages=g 250 |isbn=978-0-15-100714-1}}</ref>

== 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" />

== Durif ==
[[Durif]], or Petite Sirah, is a descendant of Syrah and [[Peloursin]]. It was propagated by and named after Dr. Francois Durif. Durif is a cross breed between the lesser known Peloursin and Syrah. Regions such as [[Rutherglen, Victoria|Rutherglen]] have achieved international regard for their Durif. This varietal is similar to Shiraz but is even more full-bodied and tannic because of the smaller, thicker-skinned grapes used. Petite Sirah is widely planted in California, where it is popular as a varietal (for example, by [[Bogle Vineyards]]), and especially blended with [[Zinfandel]], which results in a rich, bold and fruity wine.

== Synonyms ==
[[Synonyms]] for Syrah include Antourenein noir, Candive, Entournerein, Hermitage, Hignin noir, Marsanne noir, Shiraz, Sira, Sirac, Sirah, Syra, and Syrac.<ref name="Wine Grapes" />

== See also ==
* [[International variety]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
* [http://wine.appellationamerica.com/grape-varietal/Syrah-|-Shiraz.html Syrah Wine Grape History, Character and Growing Areas (USA)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071015002343/http://winestate.com.au/magazine/article.asp?articleno=234 The origins of shiraz – revealed! - By Jeni Port, Winestate Magazine]
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[[Category:Red wine grape varieties]]