I was introduced to the Syrah grape variety during my first job in 2003 while I was driving around the beautiful vineyards of the Northern Rhône Valley, in my tiny Peugeot 106. This period of my life was all about discovery, and it was my discovery of Syrah that has remained most vivid in my mind.  

Incredible wines made from the Syrah grape have been produced for decades but it was not until 1998 that DNA testing confirmed the true origins of Syrah. Born from a crossing of Mondeuse Blanche and Dureza, Syrah would have first seen the light in the French Rhône-Alpes region.

Depending on where it is produced and how it is nurtured, Syrah can vary in style from a full-bodied, energetic, and spicy wine with tight, chewy tannins and a graphite-like minerality to a richer, smoother style packed with dark chocolate nuances and sweet oak flavours.  

In the Northern Rhône valley, Syrah always plays the lead role with support offered by up to 30% of white varieties such as Viognier, Marsanne or Roussanne. The role of the white grape is to add a little perfume and prettiness to the wild muskiness of Syrah whilst also fixing the characteristic deep, opaque purple colour.

In the Southern Rhône and in the Languedoc, Syrah is typically blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre, a classical style often labelled as “GSM”. In this blend, the character and acidity of Syrah are wrapped in the richer, riper body of Grenache to produce new styles, such as Chateauneuf du Pape.

Veering slightly off the well-beaten track of France’s Rhone Valley, Syrah also yields very successful results in regions such as the Valais in Switzerland and Southern Tuscany in Italy.