The shiraz grape, which is the same as syrah, produces heavy-bodied red wines that are tannic, high in alcohol and taste richly of ripe fruit. Legend claims that the grape was brought back to France from Shiraz, Persia, by a medieval Crusader who then settled as a hermit on the hillside, which now produces syrah-based Hermitage wine. Up until very recently, syrah/shiraz was little known outside the Rhone--red Bordeaux was understood to be the finest red wine.
An ancient French grape
Ron and Sharon Tyler Herbst in "The New Wine Lover's Companion" say that legends aside, syrah has been planted in France since antiquity.
The Rhone
The produces model syrahs. It is the only red grape allowed in Hermitage and in Cote Rotie. It's also a part of the blend Chateauneuf du Pape, from the southern Rhone.
"Hermitaging"
Both Bordeaux and Burgundy winemakers added, and still add, syrah to their wines to give them strength. This is called "Hermitaging," and is done in California and Australia also.
Australian shiraz
Syrah is always called shiraz in Australia, where the Hunter and Barossa valleys are the grape's second home. Penfolds' Grange Hermitage is renowned.
California
Syrah has been popular since the 1980s among young California winemakers who formed an organization called the Rhone Rangers to promote the grape and its wine.
Tags: Rhone valley