Newsletter
Newsletter- Topic: United States Syrah Post Date: January 14, 2010 United States Syrah Wine Tasting January 14, 2010 In the United States we are notorious for wanting the best of everything. So why do wineries struggle so hard with the sale of Syrah? When I talk to customers, I ask fundamental questions such as: What kind of Body Style or weight do you like? The most popular answer is rich & full bodied. What kind of fruit profile? The most popular answer is Dark fruits What kind of tannin level? The most popular answer is Moderate What kind of acidity level? The most popular answer is balanced and moderate What kind of finish? The most popular answer is long with spicy, dark chocolate tones Sounds good, huh? Well the wine that fits that profile the best is New World Syrah. It’s easy to see why wine makers and writers continue to promote it as the big new red. However, it seems that Argentina Malbec has stolen the show on the new Red Varietal. Why? The introduction of Syrah to California is largely attributed to a group called the Rhone rangers. A Handful of producers who just fell in love with Rhone Varietals and started a movement of planting them in the 70’s in Central Coast of California. Syrah is the prominent grape varietal of the Northern Rhone region. It seems as if this enthusiasm maybe just a little lost on relatively novice American palate. In my opinion, I think Syrah, Petite Syrah, Shiraz has all been too confusing. When looking through a global scope on the industry. I would estimate that 90%+ of all the domestic production of North American wines are consumed in North America. In other parts of the world, most wines are labeled by the region they are grown. Individuals can identify with the region, wine making styles, vintages, estates long history. There are often rules and regulations to make these wines in a certain style. Some people would say that these wines may not be allowed to reach their full potential by placing archaic regulations on the wines. I would say that the producers they applaud for going outside the box of regulations and making wines of their perceived best quality are often some of the most expensive wines in the world. (Tignanello = $90, Sassicaia = $250, Gaja Costa Russi = $500) Wines we all should drink every day, right? When you dive in closer, you will see these wines aren’t as different as they seem. The fact that other areas are regulated and they go outside of the regulations by using Bordeaux varietals makes them similar. In fact, they all agreed on the marketing of themselves as Super Tuscans and Gaja believes that he still makes the best Barolo in the world it just requires a touch of Barbera and a fat wallet. I would not disagree with the fact these are some of the best wines in the world, but I would argue that they have only tweaked what the earth gives them through clone selection and varietal. When you look closer at Syrah from the United States, there is always the reference to it’s like Rhone, or it’s like Australia. Hopefully through patience and believing in the product we will be saying it’s like a great Columbia Valley, or Santa Ynez or Willamette. The knee jerk reaction to trends (i.e. Merlot of the 90’s, Pinot Noir of the 00’s) leaves the industry scrambling for the next Home Run. If wine making returns to growers and vintners and less Doctors and Corporate Execs, I think we will all benefit from it. From the wallet to the taste buds, a trip back to the fundamentals in the wine industry might bring Syrah to the forefront as one of the best varietals in the U.S. Flight $20 DuChamp Syrah Cuvee Trouve 2002 ($45) Today’s Special $10 glass / $25 Bottle Notes:______________________________ Olabisi Suisin Valley Syrah 2004 ($30)Today’s Special $10 glass / $22 Bottle Notes:_______________________________ Olson Ogden Unti Dry Creek Syrah 2005 ($45)Today’s Special $10 Glass / $30 BottleNotes:________________________________ Cristom Eola-Amity Hills Syrah 2005 ($30)Today’s Special $10 Glass / $22 BottleNotes:_______________________________ Shafer Relentless 2005 ($60)Today’s Special $15 Glass / $45 BottleNotes:____________________________ Cheers, Amier |
