Syrah

Another of the famous French diaspora grapes that is grown in virtually every wine producing country, but whose ancestry is a mystery. It was either brought from Persia to France within the last 200 years or brought to the Mediterranean shores by the Phoenicians around 600 BC. On its own Syrah produces wines that are consistently full-bodied with softer tannin, jammier fruit and spice notes of liquorice, anise and earthy leather. In many regions the acidity and tannin levels of Syrah allows the wines produced from the grape to have favorable aging potential. Syrah is often blended with a variety of other Southern French grapes. When blended, it adds deep colour, black fruit, acidity and tannin which Grenache, for example, generally lacks.