California Syrah

Syrah is a noble grape variety that can produce some serious, long-lived wines. Dark and full bodied, the wine’s typical aroma and flavor descriptors include blackberry, cassis, black pepper, bacon and smoke.

Through DNA testing, Syrah was revealed to be a cross of a black variety, Dureza, and a white variety, Mondeuse — both with origins in France’s Rhône Valley region. The grape is also known as Sirah, and in Australia and South Africa, it is called Shiraz. It should not be confused with Petite Sirah, which is a different grape variety.

Growers planted the first Syrah acreage in California in the late 19th century, but phylloxera destroyed most of the early vines in the 1890s. Vines were replanted, but substantial acreage did not appear in California until the 1990s. Most of the state’s Syrah acreage is located in San Luis Obispo County, San Joaquin County and Madera. The Rhone Rangers, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to popularizing American Rhône varietal wines, has helped bring attention to wines made with Syrah.