How to Choose a Syrah

Syrah is a rich and intensely flavored red wine. Australia produces a similar variety, shiraz, which is also a dark red-colored wine that is quite flavorful. When selecting the best syrah, as with any other wines, remember: If you like it, buy it, drink it and recommend it.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Wines

1. Never be afraid to ask for help. Learn about styles of syrah and determine which you like best.

2. First, find the state or country of origin. Where a wine comes from is probably the most important factor in what it will be like.

3. Recognize some general guidelines for regional styles. The largest regions producing syrah are California, Australia and France. Syrahs from France tend to express less of the fruity characteristics of the grape but seek a balance between the nonfruit and fruit aspects. Californian and Australian syrahs accentuate the fruit aspects and rely on much more oak influence.

4. Understand that weather is the big reason for these differences in style. Grapes have a difficult time ripening during some seasons in the Rhone Valley, which is France's major syrah-producing region. On the other hand, Australia and California rarely see a season where grapes don't fully ripen. Fully ripe grapes yield much more fruity characteristics than less ripe grapes do.

5. Explore subregions. A wine with a designated subregion is usually a higher-quality wine than one with just a general regional designation. For example, a wine that says "Australia" or "California" on the label has the lowest designation a wine can have. There are many good syrahs in this category, but very few great ones. If a wine lists a more specific region, such as "South Australia," the quality should be slightly higher, with a truer syrah profile and in most cases, more oak influence and fruit extraction. If a wine lists a specific region, such as "Langhorne Creek" or "Pritchard Hill," the quality should be higher still. If a wine lists a specific vineyard or circumstance, such as "Creek Block" or "Roasted Slope Vineyard," the wine should be of the highest quality - but may also have a correspondingly high price.

6. Base your syrah purchase on a relationship between quality, price and value.

Tips & Warnings

• French syrahs are generally thought of as better partners to food than are Californian and Australian syrahs. Some people think Californian and Australian syrahs are better suited to cocktail-type situations. You can be the judge of that.

• Italy, South Africa and Spain are all making incredible examples of syrah, but not at the volume that Australia, California and France do.