In the world of wine, sometimes confusion reigns. There appears to be three wines with similar names: Syrah, Shiraz and Petite Sirah.
The first two are the same grape. Syrah is the mighty noble red which dominates the Rhone valley in France. In the north it is mostly bottled as a single wine possessing great finesse and the ability to age well. Cotes-du-rhone is from the south where syrah is blended with grenache and mourvedre to make wonderful blends for everyday drinking.
Shiraz is the Australian moniker for this fabulous grape. Named after the ancient Persian city, it gives a nod to one of the most famous wine poems in history, “ . . . a loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou . . . .”
This red is bottled singly and is also blended with other grapes no matter what their origin. Because it is a New World country the varietals are listed on the label.
Old World wines are primarily named for regions or even villages. Bottles marked with GSM pay homage to the classic blend from the southern Rhone Valley. The mantra for Aussie wines is usually big fruit, big alcohol, big tannin. Anytime you push a wine to upwards of 15 percent alcohol something is going to suffer. There are plenty of down under quaffs with nice balance, if you shop around and don’t seek the ultimate fruit bomb.
The Syrahs from the northern Rhone Valley are some of my favorite wines with a blend of richness and complexity that is hard to beat. The blended wines from the southern part of the valley are a bargain and very food friendly.
The odd man out in this discussion is Petite Sirah. This grape was developed in France to hold up to powdery mildew. The downside was its susceptibility to rot developing in the fruit bunches. It does much better in California’s drier climate. Dark in the glass, the wine appears as though it belongs in a fountain pen. Tannic with some fruit and high acidity, it has yet to acquire a large following.
Syrah is a classic, as it has been for hundreds of years. There is nothing quite like it, with the ability to match the food of its native region, or enjoyed solo for the wonderful qualities it possesses.
Shiraz reflects the climate and culture of the world’s largest island nation. It has the personality of the rough and tumble Aussie culture, though some are a match for grilling meat, uncanny in the way the flavors blend.
Petite sirah was christened Durif in its native land and has not really taken off. Perhaps, in time, it could become the next big thing in the world of wine.
For those of you thinking that a blending grape could go on to bigger and better things, consider this: Carménèrewent to Chile to become a powerhouse. Malbec went to Argentine and became a superstar. But those are tales for another time.
Keep sipping, Steve.
Steve Juliana of Hummelstown is a wine adviser and a life-long lover of wines.
