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The red grape variety originates from France. There are over 80 synonyms that testify to its great age and worldwide distribution. The most important from a historical perspective are Hermitage, Shiraz (Australia), Candive, Marsanne Noir, Marsanne Noire, Petite Sirrah, Petite Syrah, Scyras, Sérène, Serine, Sira, Sirac, Sirah, Syra, Syrac (France); Balsamina, Neiretta Cunese, Neiretta del Monregalese, Neiretta del Rosso, Neiretta di Saluzzo, Zagarese (Italy); Neretto del Beinale (Spain); Shiraz (South Africa); Zizak (Montenegro). Despite seemingly suggestive synonyms or morphological similarities, it should not be confused with the varieties Dureza, Durif (Petite Sirah), Mondeuse Noire, Persan (Sérine), Serina e Zeze or Shesh i Zi. The confusing and extremely complicated history of confusion between the three varieties Durif, Peloursin and Syrah in California in connection with the name Petite Si(y)rah is described in detail under the keyword Durif.

Syrah - Weintraube und Blatt

Origin

There are many hypotheses about the origin. According to the most common one, the variety originated in the ancient city of Shiraz (Shiraz) in modern-day Iran (Persia). Incidentally, the famous Persian poet Hafiz (1324-1388) also came from this city. It is said to have been brought to France from there by the French crusader Gaspard de Sterimberg around 1225. According to another, it is a descendant of the ancient Allobrogica grape variety mentioned by Pliny the Elder (23-79) and Columella (1st half of the 1st century). The former also described a "black Aminea" from Syria, which was also assumed to be an ancestor. The Greek island of Syra in the Cyclades, the city of Syracuse in Sicily and Albania are also mentioned as possible origins. However, there is no historical, botanical or genetic evidence for this.

Ancestry

The probable origin was clarified by DNA analyses carried out in 2000 by Dr Carole Meredith and J. E. Bowers (University of California) in collaboration with Jean-Michel Boursiquot(Montpellier). The Syrah variety is probably a natural cross between the two old varieties Mondeuse Blanche (white) x Dureza (red). The origin of both parents lies in the former area of influence of the Celtic tribe of the Allobrogians between the Rhône and Lake Geneva (Savoy), which does not confirm the assumption regarding Allobrogica, but does explain it. In 2006, the Swiss biologist Dr José Vouillamoz (*1971) established through DNA analyses that Pinot is most likely a great-grandparent of Syrah. The (French) Syrah is genetically identical to the (Australian) Shiraz, but they have their own history. Syrah/Shiraz was a crossing partner of the new varieties Carina, Durif, Iara, Maximo, Rubin Bolgarskii and Sao Roque.

Characteristics

The medium-ripening vine is susceptible to botrytis and mites, as well as very susceptible to chlorosis, loves warmth but does not like chalky soils. It produces deep, dark, tannin-rich red wines with intense, varied flavours of black pepper, plums, chocolate and leather, which have great ageing potential. Compared to Cabernet Sauvignon, the tannins are softer and smoother. The variety is undisputedly one of the world's greats, the Cépages nobles. Syrah is cultivated throughout France, but mainly in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, which accounts for almost two thirds of the country's production, as well as in the Rhône. It is one of the varieties in the Rhône recipe typical of the region. Well-known wines include Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côte Rôtie and Hermitage. However, there are also many single-varietal Syrah wines, particularly in the northern Rhône. Since the end of the 1950s, the area under Syrah in France has literally exploded from 1,600 hectares to 62,211 hectares today.

Acreage in Europe

In Spain, the variety is mainly cultivated in the regions of Aragon, Extremadura, Catalonia, Castilla-La Mancha and Murcia in the Levante, totalling 19,488 hectares. The legendary Carlos Falcó from the Marqués de Griñón winery was particularly instrumental in its introduction. In Italy, it is mainly found in the regions of Piedmont, Sicily and Tuscany on a total of 7,693 hectares. In Portugal, it is cultivated on a total of 4,017 hectares. Other countries in Europe with smaller populations are Bulgaria (804 ha), Germany (79 ha), Greece (1,042 ha), Croatia, Moldova (87 ha), Malta, Austria (153 ha), Romania (504 ha), Switzerland (194 ha), Slovenia (18 ha), Turkey (1,439 ha), Hungary (215 ha) and Cyprus.

Overseas acreage

The viticultural pioneer James Busby (1802-1871) introduced Syrah to Australia in 1833. Here it became famous under the name Shiraz, created here, through the Penfolds Grange, whose 1951 vintage is one of the most expensive wines in the world. With 38,942 hectares, it is the most common Australian variety. Here it is mainly found in the Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Coonawarra, Hunter Valley, Langhorne Creek, McLaren Vale, Murray Darling, Padthaway, Riverina and Riverland. The variety was introduced in California in 1936 by the US oenologist Dr Harold P. Olmo (1909-2006). Other states are Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Texas and Washington. In the USA, it occupies a total of 9,083 hectares

There are also large populations in Argentina with 12,707 hectares of vines, in Chile with 7,994 hectares and in South Africa with 9,946 hectares. Other countries with smaller holdings are Algeria (1,000 ha), Bolivia, China (1,000 ha), India (500 ha), Israel (385 ha), Cambodia (3 ha), Lebanon (300 ha), Canada (260 ha), Morocco (347 ha), Mexico (145 ha), Myanmar (27 ha), New Zealand (436 ha), Peru (2 ha), Thailand (74 ha), Tunisia (67 ha) and Uruguay (67 ha). A total of 181,185 hectares of vineyards were designated in 2016. This puts the variety in 7th place in the global grape variety ranking (Kym Anderson statistics).

Source: Wine Grapes / J. Robinson, J. Harding, J. Vouillamoz / Penguin Books Ltd. 2012
Images: Ursula Brühl, Doris Schneider, Julius Kühn Institute (JKI)

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