Harvest Series 2021: Week 10
With the harvest across Niagara coming to a close soon, we still have some key grape varieties left hanging on the vines trying to soak up as much sun to ripen to perfection. This week we'll be looking at Syrah/Shiraz. While both come from the same grape (like Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio that we've already explored) they are stylistically different wines.
Shiraz
Shiraz is the better-known style of the grape, especially here in Niagara where one will commonly see Shiraz on many different red blend labels, especially with Cabernet. Shiraz will typically be dry, rich, and smooth. Notes are ripe fruit flavours that almost come across as sweet, with notes of chocolate and delicate spice. The complexity and the flavours of Shiraz make it the perfect partner to Cabernet or other reds in blends. On its own it's delicious, but when paired with BBQ fare, or hearty pasta dishes, Shiraz becomes elevated to another level.
Our EastDell Black Label Shiraz is a classic Niagara example of Shiraz. Medium-bodied, with plums, cherries, and smoke on the nose, this wine showcases rich notes of dark red fruits and spicy black pepper on the palate. Paired with Lamb Ragou, the natural spice of the wine becomes perfectly balanced.
Syrah
Syrah is a little lesser known in this part of the world but is famous in Frances Rhône Valley. Niagara Syrah will typically be extra dry, full-bodied, with youthful tannins and moderating and balancing acidity. Syrah will have notes of spice, black pepper, oak, earth, and dark fruit. Typical of cool-climate reds, while sometimes giving up on body and heat, the wines make up for it with depth, complexity, and true age-ability.
Our Lakeview Cellars Syrah is one of the best examples of Syrah in the area. Rich, bold, and robust, the wine shines with notes of chocolate, cherries, and spice. A wine that is drinking absolutely wonderfully right now, but give it 3-5 years to allow the wine to fully mature and show its true character.
Syrah/Shiraz is a lesser-known wine in the Niagara region, but the grapes coming in this week produce some of the most impressive and complex wines in the area. Grab a bottle or 2, and compare the differences between Syrah and Shiraz!
