Syrah (Shiraz) grape variety
The technical dark-colored Syrah grape, or as it is also called - Shiraz, is one of the most widespread varieties of the sun berry in the world. With a total area exceeding 100 thousand hectares, it is surely one of the ten most popular forms, and it is widely cultivated on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica.
The history of Sira's appearance has long remained a mystery. Despite the fact that the triumphal march of our hero around the world began from the French province of Rhone, there was a persistent legend that in fact this grape was brought from Persia (modern Iran), and received its name from the name of the ancient city of Shiraz, which was the capital eastern state in the 18th century. However, a 1998 genetic study at the Department of Viticulture and Oenology at the University of California disproved this theory. DNA analysis showed that Syrah's immediate parents are two rare French varieties Dureza and Mondez Blanche. Both of these grapes grow near the Northern Rhone, in connection with which the researchers made an unambiguous verdict that hybridization, most likely spontaneous, occurred here. Unfortunately, scientists have not been able to establish the exact period of time about when this happened.
By the 19th century, Shiraz had already crossed the borders of his homeland and spread throughout Europe. Its largest areas were concentrated in the territory of modern Italy, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and a number of the Balkan states. In 1832, the variety came to Australia, where it settled so firmly that it is currently the most popular form of dark colored grapes in this country. Later, the French guest managed to win the attention of winegrowers in other regions of the New World - the USA, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, South Africa, New Zealand.
The popularity of Sira is primarily due to the plasticity of this grape, which can grow in a variety of conditions, as well as the versatility of processing options and the consistently high quality of wines made from it. Thick, rich in tannins and dyes, the skin of the berries imparts a dark ruby color and a soft velvety taste to ready-made drinks. Wines are perfect for long aging, adding nobility and complexity.
The main disadvantage of the variety is the need to limit the yield in order to obtain a high-quality product as a result. So, in the southern regions of Australia, where Shiraz traditionally shows good productivity, the wines are poorly concentrated and very far from the best world samples. In addition, as a purebred representative of the classic European species Vitis vinifera, the variety needs comprehensive protection against common fungal diseases, albeit less intense than other forms highly susceptible to pathogens. Plants can hardly tolerate a lack of moisture in the soil and strong winds, which often break off fragile shoots. The frost resistance of the aboveground part of the bushes is also not high.
Agrobiological properties
Plants are not very large and vigorous. The crown of the young shoot is greenish-white due to the intense light pubescence; along the edges of the young leaves, a carmine-colored border can be noticeable. The formed leaves are medium in size and rounded in shape and consist of three or five lobes with a moderate degree of dissection.The surface of the leaf blade is bubbly, shiny, intense green with light veins. On the reverse side there is a weak cobweb pubescence. The leaf profile is wavy. The upper side cutouts are quite deep, open in the form of a lyre, or with parallel sides and a rounded bottom. The lower notches often repeat the shape of the upper ones, but they are much shallower in depth. The petiolate notch, as a rule, is closed, lyre-shaped with a pointed bottom. The petioles are not too long, pale green, without noticeable anthocyanin shades. The teeth along the edge of the sheet generally look like a regular triangle with smooth edges and sharp tops. The flowers are bisexual, and therefore the pollination of the inflorescences is good, and the berries in the clusters do not peas. However, in cool weather during the flowering period, buds and ovaries may show a tendency to massive shedding. Annual growth ripens well in a suitable climate. The foliage begins to turn red at the edges before falling off in the fall.
Ripe bunches are relatively compact, medium-sized, cylindrical or cylindrical-conical, moderately dense in structure. A typical brush weighs 115 - 150 grams. The combs are short, herbaceous, green in color, usually without anthocyanin inclusions. The berry is medium, slightly ovoid, bluish-black and covered with a thick bluish bloom of prune. The diameter of the grapes ranges from 1.2 to 2 cm, and the weight ranges from 1.3 to 2.3 grams. The pulp of the fruit is juicy, harmonious in taste, in the aftertaste and aroma, you can feel the tones of blackberries. The sugar content of the squeezed juice is high - 23 - 26 g / 100 cm3, moderate titratable acidity - 5.5 - 6.5 g / dm3, pH level - 3.3 - 3.8. At the same time, in the regions of cultivation, in which there are high daytime temperatures and slight cooling at night, there may be a deficiency of acid, which negatively affects the quality of the future drink. The skin of the berries is thick, firm and intensely colored. The seeds are not large, occupy an insignificant mass fraction in the berries. In general, the technological characteristics of Shiraz after combing is as follows: the yield of pure juice is 74-76%, the skin and dense parts of the pulp are 20-22%, the bones are 4-5%.
The variety is intended for the production of high quality red wines, which, due to the abundant content of anthocyanins, are considered one of the darkest in the world. At the same time, with a short contact of the skin with the wort, a light rosé wine can also be obtained, which is quite often practiced by some winemakers. In addition to the depth of color, Syrah is distinguished by an abundance of tannins, density and concentration of taste. Flavoring and aromatic notes can be very varied, differing depending on the climate and soil in the place where the grapes grow. Oenologists call the most frequent tones in its bouquet the aromas of berries, coffee and black pepper, while noting that none of them can be considered typical. Aging in oak barrels significantly softens the taste of the drink, enriching it with secondary flavors such as leather or truffle, tar or exotic spices. The largest volumes of Sira's harvests go to the production of dry wine, but on the wine shelves you can find fortified versions in the style of Port wine, and even red sparkling drinks. Our hero shows himself perfectly both in varietal form and in a blend with other varieties.
Ripening of Shiraz occurs relatively early, and therefore, without any problems, it reaches the necessary technological conditions in most traditional wine-growing regions. This, among other things, explains its worldwide fame and popularity. In hot climates, it is necessary to carefully monitor the ratio of sugar and acid in ripening berries, avoiding overripening of the grapes, as a result of which the chances of making a truly high-quality drink from it are sharply reduced. In addition, many winemakers also control the productivity of plants, removing a significant part of the inflorescences that have appeared on the bushes. This is necessary to obtain the maximum concentration of tannins, first in the grapes, and then in the finished drink.Where this practice was abandoned, very significant volumes of bunches are obtained from a unit area, making ordinary wine from them, used at a young age.
For growth, the variety prefers poor, but sufficiently moist soils, because it is hard going through dry periods during the growing season. In addition, the terrain must provide good wind protection, especially from cold air masses from the north. Despite Sira's certain resistance to a number of fungal diseases, it still requires attention and control over the spread of pathogens using plant protection chemicals.
