There's a lot of confusion these days surrounding one of the hottest new varietals flooding the US market, those from the Syrah family: Syrah, Shiraz (and sometimes Petite Syrah). I receive a number of questions on the topic and thought it may be nice to shed some light on the differences (or similarities) of these wines. Many people believe these Syrah and Shiraz are unique grape varieties, commonly supported by the fact that there really are differences in style and flavors. But regardless of how you choose your favorite style, spelling or pronunciation it sounds something like: (s
-rä
).
Dictionary.com defines it as :
Sy·rah
n. In both senses also called Shiraz2.
- A variety of grape cultivated especially in Australia, southern France, and the United States.
- A full-bodied red wine made from this grape.
Confused? Fear not. As you probably know by now nothing in the wine world is simple, so here's a general rule of thumb when dealing with this many faceted grape variety:
If it's SYRAH it's probably French,
If it's SHIRAZ, it's probably Australian,
And if it's from Domestic (likely from California) you'll see SYRAH most often but also SHIRAZ (and even Petite Syrah, but we'll save that one for later)
It is rumored that Syrah grape originates from the Persian city of Shiraz, and was later introduced to France. The Francophiles interpreted the word as Syrah. Later, the grapes were transported to South Africa and Australia where the original spelling was used. My guess is no one really knows, but speculation is gobs of fun.
These of course are guidelines and not hard rules, for you have purists in the US who may produce Syrah to honor its French origins, and a handful of jokers (generally in Australia) who change Shiraz to Syrah just to irritate the French in the great wine battles of honor fought internationally. And to further muddle the mix you may now see French wines marketed as Shiraz.
So now that we've determined that it's all the same grape, where did this notion of different varietals actually come from?
Quite Simply, I've determined, it's all about style, usually distinguished as Old World (European) and New World (everyone else).
French Syrah is Old World, exemplified in the great wines of Hermitage and Cote-Rotie in the Northern Rhone. Big, bold, earthy and leathery, these peppery reds are not for the faint of palate - and are in fact, often referred to as 'manly.' Question is, are you the type that prefers the Marlboro man in a bottle of wine? Personally, the stronger and more powerful the better, I love it when my wine 'hurts.' They have a significant amount of tannin (from prolonged grape skin contact) and can use some cellaring to mellow them out. Rustic to the core yet with hints of true elegance, they are grand wines, but unfortunately come at a cost. However, Syrah is also common in the southern Rhone, providing the backbone for the more common (and affordable) Cotes du Rhone and Chateauneuf-du-Pape blends, which may also contain Cinsault, Grenache, and Mourvedre (more French grape varieties).
Australia, and even Californian styles of Syrah/Shiraz define New World Syrah, offering a smoother, more fruit forward approach. While maintaining the decadent spice, pepper, and dark earthy characteristics, the warmer climates and different winemaking approaches add a dimension of ripe fruit - usually a jammy berry like flavor. Softer on the palate, rounder and more easily accessible, this style has fewer tannins (the compound that dries your teeth) but retains a full flavor and rich body. Many are also blended with a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon for a nice ripe round fruity finish. Popularity has soared for this style due to it's simple drinkability, great fruit flavor, and more fashionable prices.
And finally we have Petite Syrah, a California phenomenon shroud in obscurity regarding it's true origin. There's all kind of speculation and DNA fingerprinting to support (and disprove) that Petite's are biologically related to the Syrah. Essentially the verdict is they may be related, but over time have cross pollinated into 'field grapes,' something like a grape 'mutt' and probably descended from a Shrah/Peloursin French Rhone grape called Durif. Or maybe not. But all you need to know is that a Petite Syrah is generally similar in style to a Californian Syrah, and if you happen to find one, snatch it up. They are great wines to experience.
So this concludes my brief introduction to the world of Syrah/Shiraz. Far from an expert on the topic, I may occasionally misinterpret my facts, and for that I apologize. However, my goal is to encourage you, Attrezzi Wine Club members, to better understand and explore the world of wine. Let me know if this helps!
