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http:// --> Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Local Issues Obituaries Weather Archive Revels Etcetera Backpage Hot Topics Most Viewed Forum Photo Galleries Video Readers Polls O-Zone Online Games Movie Preview Special Sections Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad Top Galleries: February 27, 2007 Que Syrah, Syrah By Lorn Razzano Tidings Correspondent Lorn Razzano Archives Tuesday January 2nd Tuesday January 9th Tuesday January 16th Tuesday January 23rd Tuesday January 30th Tuesday February 6th Tuesday February 13th Tuesday February 20th Tuesday February 27th I had a funny conversation with a customer the other day about Syrah. It seems that he was very frustrated about the Syrah I sold him. He wanted a "spicy, rich and powerful" Syrah that exhibited all of the characteristics of a Washington State Syrah but wished to try a Syrah from another geographical area. I sold him a wine which I believed would fit the bill. He thought the wine was too thin and acidic and so, with a little more searching, I found him a second wine that (he pronounced) "almost exhibited" the flavors he was looking for. So, what should we expect of the same grape from different areas of the world? What should we be looking for when we love a certain grape or the flavors that a certain grape exhibits? All like grapes, Syrah, for example, have certain things in common that we should expect when evaluating a glass of wine. We understand that Syrah should have some palate grip, should display spice, usually a white pepper nose and have some heat in the finish. A well made Syrah should have unctuous flavors and most often be made with wood aging. We also know that hot climates or hot growing seasons can produce whopping amounts of alcohol in the wine not unlike many wine varieties subject to a lot of warmth. To expect a Syrah from the Rhone Valley, France to taste like a Syrah from central California can lead to a big disappointment. Even though many Syrah share very close fingerprints, many variables can make a huge difference in the finished product. Let's look closer at these differences; Although we are speaking of Syrah, the following criteria apply to all grape varietals; Intent of winemaker This may be the biggest factor in any bottle of wine we purchase. Winemakers create wines that (generally) they wish to drink in their own home. Two Syrah makers who may be making wine down the road from each other will have very different ideas on how "real" Syrah should be made (taste). One person might ask that the grapes be left on the vine a little longer, may be using a different clone or might have a vineyard that attracts much more heat than the next winemaker. One winemaker may wish the wine to be cellared for a long time before being released to the public or to be released early because of the need for income. Yet another winemaker may have learned his or her craft in France and have a much different winemaking approach than her counterpart in Washington State. These are very important factors regardless of which varietal we are talking about. Vineyard site So much of the finished product has to do with the raw material; the quality of the grapes. I have never seen really fine winemakers make great wine from ill treated grapes or grapes from a "bad" growing season. I have seen, on the other hand, marginal winemakers make pretty damned good wine out of spectacular grapes. So much of what we experience in a glass of wine comes from good vineyard practices and good vineyard sites. Syrah is grown in most of the traditional winegrowing countries but not all are grown in equally fine vineyard sites. Storage This might be one of the most overlooked quality statements when talking about like varietals or wine in general. From the time the grapes are harvested until the wine hits the table and is opened, handling and storage are of prime concern to the quality of what one is tasting. Some years ago a panel of wine judges (myself included), just for fun, decided to taste three like wines side by side. The three bottles were all Cabernet Sauvignon from the same producer and from the same vintage. One bottle had been stored upright for one year in the livingroom of a wine shop owner's house, the second bottle had been laid down in the cellar for a year and the third bottle was shipped to a friend in New York and sent back to California in time for the tasting. We were not told anything about the three glasses in front of us. All of the wines were opened at the same time and we evaluated each glass for about ten minutes. Three of us named the varietal correctly the other two wine judges thought the wines were of different varietals. None of us picked the wine as being of the same vintage or from the same winery, as the wines were all vastly different in taste. Leave a Comment: Advertisement: Advertisement: Paid Advertising: Debt Help Inkjet Printers Payday Loans Free Ringtones Debt Consolidation Security Systems Debt Relief New Hampshire Primary Advertisement: Copyright © 2007 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved. Del.icio.us