Syrah: "The Next Big Thing" At Last?

Class is sold out, waiting list full.  When I got into the wine trade in 2006, Shiraz was huge and Syrah from South America, South Africa, California, Washington and even France's Northern Rhone was regularly touted as "the next big thing."  The amount of Syah we've closed out over the following 15 years suggests some confusion about what "the next big thing" means.

And yet. No red grape delves deeper into the savory side of red wine than Syrah and does a better job of delivering both a clear expression of place and the powering and intensity needed to stand up to big food. And over the past few years, we've found more and more Syrah reds that both tickle our tongues and gain at least a bit of customer acceptance.

So let's get together and survey the state of Syrah. We'll look at wines from California, Washington, France and south of the equator from sites warm and sunny and cool and foggy. Destemming vs whole cluster, oak vs concrete, alcohols from 12.5% to 15% and more - let's see what this grape does. And discover which expressions most make us think "the next big thing" may be arriving at last.

We'll cover seven different Syrah's from value price points to closer to luxury territory while we enjoy light and wine friendly nibbles and lots of great conversation and sharing.  Join us!