![](https://okanaganlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/October-2007.jpg)
Syrah – Shiraz … whatever you call it, this French/Aussie varietal can mix ’n’ match or stand tall on its own
Syrah, the great red grape of the northern Rhône, produces such superstars as Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie as well as Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage and Cornas. At their best, these long ageing wines are dark, dense and immensely concentrated with flavours of spice, leather, tar, game and blackberries.
In the southern Rhône and the vast Languedoc, Syrah has enjoyed an extraordinary surge in popularity. Here it’s not consumed so much as a single varietal but as a component adding complexity and structure to blends that include Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsaut.
The grape has also flourished in Australia since the first half of the 19th century, where it has always been identified as Shiraz, a name that may be better known to many consumers than the French original. Typically, Aussie Shiraz shows riper fruit and suppler texture than the Rhône examples.
Quick facts
• Syrah/Shiraz represents about 10% of the red wine produced in the Okanagan
• Penfolds Grange (shiraz) is Australia’s most famous and long-lived wine
• Rhône Rangers: American winemakers producing Rhône varietals (Bonny doon)
• More Rhône — Gigondas, Lirac, Vacqueyras
• More Midi — Coteaux du Languedoc, Corbières, Vin de Pays d’Oc
Best way to enjoy
Food pairings: Hearty dishes: intensely-flavoured stews, meaty casseroles; Rich roasted meats: game, beef, lamb; Char-grilled meats; Baked dishes made with lamb, beef, pork, duck, sausages; Hard cheeses like an aged cheddar
Temperature: 18 to 21 C
Type of glass: good quality, large bowled, stemmed
Read more of the original stories celebrated in our 30th-anniversary issue.
What was your property worth on July 1?
British Columbia's real estate market has seen continued activity in 2017 with residential and commercial property values showing growth in most areas. 2018 property assessment values will reflect what was happening around BC Assessment's uniform valuation date of...
UBC announces $100-million fundraising campaign to help students
https://www.youtube.com/embed/GELZafmvB30 UBC Okanagan is embarking on the largest fundraising campaign for students in its 12-year history. The Blue & Gold Campaign for Students aims to raise $100 million across both UBC campuses over three years to give...
Penticton volunteers number tops 300 as city opens its hearts to Canada’s top women curlers
The City of Penticton is opening its heart to Canada’s top women curlers and fans for the 2018 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, scheduled for Jan. 27-Feb. 4 at the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton. The host committee announced today that the number of...
New year brings new part-time viticulture courses to Okanagan
While wine lovers will have to wait months – if not years – to sip and savour 2018 Okanagan vintages, 2018 is poised to be a very good year right from the start for anyone looking to learn the art and science of grape growing in the region. Three new part-time...
Okanagan curlers aiming for Olympics
Hurry and cheer hard for the home team during the 2017 Roar of the Rings. Curlers John Morris and his Vernon rink – including Jim Cotter, second stone Catlin Schneider and lead Tyrel Griffith – will be throwing stones in Ottawa Dec. 2 to 10 in hopes of making the 2018...
Culinary Championships announce 2018 competing chefs
As Canadian Olympic athletes make final preparations to take on the world at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games, eleven chefs prepare for the the 2018 Canadian Culinary Championships. The chefs, who won gold in their regional qualifier competition across...