Sharing my Wine Knowledge on Vivino by Julien Miquel… 🙂
Whether we call it Syrah or Shiraz, many of us are fond of this inky and tannic grape variety, its peppery and dark-berry notes.
But do you know where it really comes from???
We’ve all heard tales about where the French Syrah came from.
We all know Syrah in France is synonym with Rhone Valley, even though it’s grown in Languedoc-Roussillon as well.
But what about Shiraz we see on labels all the time, from Australia in particular. Is it the same grape variety?
So why would it have a different name?
We often hear: “I like those grapes and wines whatever their names.”
But where are Syrah and/or Shiraz grown around the world?
In this very blog, we’ve liked to highlight how some new upcoming countries like New Zealand (on the map above if you look closely enough, that’s right, that island East of the Australian continent) now actually produce some of the most interesting Syrah wines in the world, as we discussed with NZ’s Church Road Winery winemaker Chris Scott.
Who else than the Aussie would have thought of making Shiraz Sparkling?
How about Petite Sirah?
‘Petite‘ is French for small, you might remember that from you French classes.
But does that mean Petite Sirah and Syrah are related?
To many red wine lovers, tasting a glass of Syrah is rather straight-forward enjoyment and reward-providing experience to the senses. The wines bring warming ripe berry flavors, spiciness, and a distinctive energy to the experience.
But I know seeing all these different spellings on labels also brings a lot of questions worth trying to answer.
This is why I looked at all these interogations that we all have, and though my knowledge on the subject was well worth sharing with Vivino users and readers.
It was an exclusive post from me (Julien Miquel) for Vivino, providing the main answers to the above questions, and titled: How Syrah became Shiraz: A Short History
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