Definitions for "Syrah"
Keywords:  shiraz, hermitage, rhone, persia, rotie
Very old vine used in côtes du Rhône, fragrant and colourful, it is successful on slopes with low yields, for red wines.
(See-rah) - The classic Rhone red grape allegedly brought back from Shiraz in Persia by the 14th-Century crusader Gaspard de Sterimberg. Blended in Chateauneuf-du-Pape and standing alone in Hermitage, Cote-Rotie and other Rhone reds, it makes tannic, ageworthy wines easily identified by a very characteristic floral black-pepper fragrance.
A grape variety associated with the Rhone Valley region of France, famous for creating "Hermitage" red wine. In the cooler regions of Australia a similar grape is grown successfully and called the Shiraz. The parent grape is thought to have originated in ancient Persia. In the state of California, depending on location, vintage or fermentation technique, it is used to either produce a spicy, complex wine or a simple wine. The Petite Sirah, which produces a very dark red, tannic wine judged simple in comparison to the true Rhone Syrah, has no relationship other than the name.