In the “Shopping for Wine with Barron” Video Series, Barron Beltz helps Wine Lovers navigate the often confusing Wine Sections and Wine Displays found in Grocery Stores and Supermarkets in Europe.
In Episode 5, Barron Beltz reveals the secret of finding the extremely popular red grape varietal, Syrah a.k.a. Shiraz in the French Wine Section!
The red grape varietal Syrah is also called Shiraz in many parts of the world, especially in Australia. Many wines from the eastern-central to the south-southeastern wine regions of France may contain Syrah, but many will not tell you this on the label.
One such region is the world-renowned Rhône Wine Region, which is located around the beautiful city of Lyon in the southern half of France. The Rhône region contains dozens of smaller sub-regions and villages, which are basically divided into the North and South.
The North is known for wines that are dominated by Syrah, many of which are 100% Syrah, and this is because law only allows one red grape in this region – you guessed it, Syrah. Some of the well-known names that you will find on Northern Rhône labels are the following: Côte-Rôtie, Saint Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage and Cornas.
The South is known for red wines that are mostly blends, and many contain varying percentages of Syrah. Grenache, however, is the most widely planted red grape varietal in the South. Other red grape varietals in these blends can include Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault. The South also produces the vast majority of the wine, which comes from the Rhône Region. The most popular, widely available and affordably priced of these are the wines labeled Côtes-du-Rhône and Côtes-du-Rhône Villages, which are dominated by the Grenache grape varietal, but typically contain Syrah as well. Some of the well-known names that you will find on Southern Rhône labels are the following: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Costières de Nîmes, Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Rasteau.
French wines with Syrah can also be found in the SouthEast of France in a Wine Region known as the Languedoc-Roussillon. One of the my favorite appellations from this region is labeled Minervois, and it will contain Syrah.
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