B.C. VINEYARDS ARE MAKING SOME TASTY SYRAHS
If you asked the public which grape has the biggest potential to make super-premium wine in B.C., I bet few if any would say Syrah. Yet, in most tastings and competitions, this variety has stood out in a way few other B.C. wines do. The challenge is not many wine consumers drink Syrah and without popular demand it languishes on wine shelves giving way to more desired Pinot Noir, Riesling, sparkling wines, red blends, and of late, Cabernet Franc.
The history of the Syrah grape is muddled. We know it to be one of the oldest established grapes in France, but for decades its origins were less apparent. Some claim it came to Marseilles around 600 BC via the Phocaeans of Asia Minor, who in turn are said to have imported the grape from Shiraz, Persia. Others point to the Romans as bringing the variety from Syracuse, Sicily, to the Rhone in the third century AD. Others implicate the Crusaders returning from the Middle East via Cyprus.
In the end, we now know Syrah was already widely planted in the Rhone by Roman times and it’s that notion that led scientists to consider the grape may have been Indigenous to France. In 1998, plant geneticist Carole Meredith, of the University of California at Davis, and Jean-Michel Boursiquot, of L’Ecole Nationale Superieure Agronomique de Montpellier, proved just that. Using DNA research, they discovered that Syrah is the child of two obscure French varieties, Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche. Neither the former native to the Ardèche, nor the latter from the Savoie, was considered distinguished, but the combination of the two has proved otherwise.
The latest report (2014) on British Columbia vineyard plantings put Syrah vines at some 531 acres, representing 10 per cent of all red grapes in the ground and just over five per cent of all planted grapes. By comparison, Merlot is planted to 1,564 acres and Pinot Noir 1,073, suggesting it’s still not top of mind among growers and or wine drinkers.
When you talk with consumers about which wines they don’t care for, often they use the phrase “it tastes too strong.” It’s
why many people add milk or cream to black coffee. It seems consumer resistance to Syrah is all about its ‘strong’ flavours that are accentuated by its natural alcohol.
None of that changes the height B.C. Syrah is reaching, especially when compared to the world’s best. Among the best Syrah I tasted this year is the Le Macchiole Scrio 2013 ($125) from Bolgheri, Italy. I have often noted similarities in the savoury flavours of Bolgheri’s Mediterranean reds and our savoury Okanagan offerings. The great Rhone Valley Syrah remain the benchmark but many are now prohibitively expensive. That said, fine quality French offerings under $100 do not have much on B.C.
Today’s wine picks, constrained to five, are some current favourites but here are some thoughts on a wider list of top B.C. Syrah. Where to buy is anyone’s guess. In my opinion, neither wineries nor their distributors are doing much to help you at retail. You can order direct from wineries (but usually by the case) or try