Page 35 - Carol LeBeau

So what is a poor person to do to enjoy Syrah now and not is a juicy role in a movie, a la Pinot Noir in Sideways, to
so expensive? Easy, travel to Australia. Shiraz is synony- spread the work and jumpstart its reputation”. Movie aside, I
mous with Aussie red wine these days. They even blend it believe that Syrah has found its teeth in the go-to wine of the
with other grapes such as the traditional Viognier, or, more American red wine drinker. The infamous Rhone Rangers
likely, red grapes such as Cabernet. It tastes very differ- (read Randall Graham of Bonny Doon fame) must think so
ent depending which area of Australia the grapes are grown too. They have brought these varietals to the American public
in. Look for a warm, mouthful of plums and chocolate from who love them! The styles vary from peppery, muscular ver-
Barossa or Hunter Valley. Two of the best regions are Ad- sions that mimic the Northern Rhone Hermitage, to fruit-driv-
elaide Hills, and Beechworth, a sub-alpine region in Victoria’s en wines more comparable to Australia. Areas of excellence
northeast. These have more finesse and restraint than the are found in the Sonoma Coast (the coast part is important;
typical Australian Shiraz and more in common with the North- the cool breezes keep the fruit’s acidity up). Napa Valley
ern Rhone. Alcohol levels can be high: 15% is not uncom- mountain appellations such as Spring Mountain and Mount
mon. Most wines are aged in new oak so they have vanilla Veeder plus the Russian River Valley are perfect areas for
and Christmas spice overtones. Blueberry jam frequently Syrah to shine. Also look for Santa Ynez Valley and Knights
jumps out at you. Lots of value wines in the $10 to $15 can Valley offerings (around $40).
be found but should you decide to splurge, try Hill of Grace
from 150 year old vines. Moving southward, Alameda, home to JC Cellars, makes a
wonderful Syrah from the Syrah Santa Barbara County Rod-
Continuing our tour around the world, Chile makes a lovely ney’s Vineyard ($30). And let’s not forget Paso Robles, and
Syrah. Merlot was the first choice of Chilean wine drinkers its Edna Valley. This is again a cooler, coastal wine grow-
for ages, and then they found out that the grapes were prob- ing region and top names are Justin, Austin Hope, Eberle,
ably not Merlot, but were Carmenere. Now Syrah is starting Meridian, and Gravity Hills. The Arroyo Grande area has
to shine. Currently the region to look for is Maipo, in par- tripled in area over the past 10 years and produces some
ticular the Tabali and Tamaya areas as well as Limari. The fabulous Syrahs. Look for Alban. Overall, smart buys include
grape name will be found on the label, hurrah! Chalone, Joseph Phelps, and Rosenblum. Vintage does mat-
ter so check out a vintage chart or call your local wine geek
Argentina also dabbles in Syrah. Mendoza is a high eleva- before shelling out $40+ dollars for a bottle.
tion desert with long growing seasons and results in a terroir
driven distinction. (That means the wine tastes like the place Our tour of the world ends up in Cyprus. Ever tried a Cypriot
from where the grapes were grown; every place a different Shiraz? Not easy to find, but thought I would mention it as
taste). way of showing that Syrah/Shiraz is a world traveler.

Next up is South Africa where the star of the show at a recent One final word on Syrah. It is not Petite Syrah. That is an San Diego
Decanter Wine Tasting was Shiraz. The general comments entirely different red grape and I guarantee there is nothing Woman
included “South Africa has one foot in the Old World and one petite about it. More on that subject another time.
in the new, balancing Old World restraint with some New
World upfront fruit”. Sounds good to me. I like my wine to Food pairing with Syrah/Shiraz is quite straight forward. 35
taste like fruit seeing as it is made from grapes. The Dutch Where else would a big red wine go for a good time but to
who settled the Cape in the late 17th Century brought the the grill? Grilled vegetables, olive tapenade, and anything
vines to South Africa. After the apartheid, focus turned away with herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and mint round out
from quantity to quality. Major areas are Paarl, Stellenbo- the steak
sch, and Swartland. Look for olive and briar characteristics. and game.
(Chewed on any briar recently?!; tastes woody) Typically no Short ribs,
new oak is used so vanilla is not evident. Try one from Fran- and lamb
schhoek Valley to see what I mean. with black
pepper
Bet you thought I would never get to United States and the sauce is
wonderful growing areas of Washington State and California. especially
Washington’s cool nights are perfect for growing Syrah. The wonderful
balance of fruit and acidity makes this a perfect food wine. Dry firm
The wines have rich fruit and earth flavors with a finish that cheese as
goes on and on. The style is closer to the Northern Rhone. well as blue
Washington gets one hour more sunlight than Napa, and cheese pair
that stretches out the growing season allowing the fruit to nicely also.
ripen more slowly and evenly. 15 years ago, Syrah scarcely
existed here. Today it is renowned. Not all these wines are
value priced, however. For a real treat, try Cayuse Syrah Bi-
onic Frog $70. For an every day wine, Chateau Ste. Michelle,
Cline, and Hogue will fit any budget nicely,

Wine Spectator said “Maybe all Syrah needs (in California)
Sep/Oct2008