DRINK : The Basics of Syrah Food Pairing

Dark-skinned Syrah, also known as Shiraz in Australia, is a grape that often delivers strong, full-bodied red wines with rich notes of blackberry, cassis, blueberry, and black pepper spice. Heavy tannins, a deep, inky colour, and moderate acidity are common characteristics of Syrah wines. The best Syrah wines can be stored for decades in a cellar and are typically aged in oak barrels for long periods.

In the Rhone Valley in France, where there are the most Syrah plantings in the world, the grape is frequently combined with Grenache and Mourvedre. The Hermitage, Cornas, the Cote-Rotie, and St. Joseph are among the most esteemed appellations in this region. This region's Syrah wines are known for their higher acidity and earthy, savoury aromas of leather, olives, and smoked meat. The other important Shiraz-producing areas are in Australia's Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale, where the wines are more fruit-forward, with loads of rich, luscious dark cherry flavours and plenty of spice.

Shiraz or Syrah

Shiraz goes nicely with strong seasonings, tastes, and grilled preparations since it is a powerful, fruity wine. The lighter sibling, Syrah, matches best with milder cooking methods like roasting and braising. Syrah can take on robust and complex flavors, but be careful not to back off too much. Try out the games and conflicts to see for yourself. This time, we'll discuss the best Syrah wines and their food pairings. Enjoy the ride!

Top 5 Syrah Wine Food Pairings

The best Syrah wines should be paired with robust foods because they are big, strong, and flavorful. Excellent choices include burgers, roast lamb, hearty winter soups, and grilled ribs. Herbes de provence and other savory seasonings can be very effective at bringing out the earthy and subdued aromas of Syrah. Additionally, matching Syrah with cheese is a favorite among wine aficionados, especially when it comes to blue cheeses like Gorgonzola or Roquefort. But let’s be more concrete. Here is the list of the top 5 Syrah wines and their food pairings.

Jean-Luc Colombo Crozes-Hermitage Les Fées Brunes 2019

This excellent Crozes-Hermitage is a fine example of Jean-expertise Luc's vision in the wine industry. All of the Syrah grapes used to make Les Fees Brunes are manually harvested, and after vinification, the wine is matured for a total of 15 months in oak barrels. This complex wine smells strongly thanks to layers of blackcurrants and raspberries, dried herbs from the Mediterranean, and dark chocolate. If you have the patience to wait, Les Fees Brunes will continue to change and improve in the cellar over the next few years. It goes particularly well with herb-roasted lamb.

Montes Folly Syrah 2019

The Syrah from Montes Folly is a robust and lavish wine. Intense reflections are visible in its ruby red hue. Ripe blueberries and cassis, as well as chocolate scents and delicate toasted notes, can all be found in the very beautiful nose. It has gentle tannins and spicy characteristics on the palate and is powerful and well-balanced. It has a lengthy, exquisite finish and is warm and abundant. It pairs well with beef Bourguignon, caramelized pork chops, lamb with parsley butter and meals with mushrooms. You can cellar it for a few years or enjoy its corpulent nature now.

Reyneke Syrah 2018

Rich flavors of cassis, blackberry, and ripe cherry predominate on the nose thanks to the rigorous and attentive winemaking process, which lets the beauty of the fruit and the terroir show through. A large full body, strong tannins, and a lengthy finish with strong dark fruit, tobacco leaf, and spice are all noticeable after the first sip. This wine pairs well with fattier foods like ribeye steak, tomato-based pasta dishes, and meat stews because of its robust flavor character.

L'Ecole No. 41 Columbia Valley Syrah 2017

The winery, L'Ecole, is named after the former schoolhouse, which was constructed by French-Canadian pioneers who first started growing grapes and producing wine here in the early 1800s. High-quality Syrah grapes, combined with a small amount of Grenache and Mourvedre, are hand-harvested and softly crushed at the winery to create this unique bottling.

The wine is kept in 100% small oak barrels in L'Ecole cellars for 18 months after vinification, which gives the exquisite flavors of blackberry, black cherry, and dried violet a touch of licorice, cinnamon, and clove. This wine pairs nicely with heavy red meat dishes because it has a robust full body, solid tannins, and a well-developed structure on the palate.

Tardieu Laurent Côte Rôtie Vieilles Vignes 2017

This fruity Cote Rotie is produced from grapes grown in the La Landonne, Lancement, and Chavaroche sub-regions of the appellation, which have an average vine age of 60 years. Black olive, cigar box, and deep cassis notes dominate the nose's opening notes, which intensify into crushed wild berries, leather, and traces of dry herbs on the palate. The well-developed structure and fine-grained tannins will benefit greatly from prolonged cellar aging, but this luxurious red may also be savored right away with substantial stews, rib-eye steaks, and other rich red meat dishes.

Purchase this wine from 8wines.com - Tardieu Laurent Côte Rôtie Vieilles Vignes 2017

For more information on Syrah wine, visit www.8wines.com