Syrah in focus, part 2: journeys around the world

We left Syrah basking in the sun of south-western France, where our grape had become an important, although often minority, blending partner in the heady wines of Languedoc-Roussillon. For a grape that loves the warmth, it seems natural that Syrah should find a home in the two major wine-growing countries further south still: Spain and Italy. More surprisingly, however, it has also gained a foothold in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. It´s here that we will begin our international Syrah story – with cooler climate wines that have inevitably looked to the northern Rhône for inspiration, and warmer lands reflecting the fuller blends of southern France. From there, we will follow ancient Phoenician traders and French winemakers to the Levant and the north-African Maghreb, and finally head south to the winelands of the Western Cape.