Saturday, February 12, 2011

Celebrate Syrah: International Syrah Day Is February 16

Bookmark and Share  Let’s spend a day tasting and talking about Syrah! Why? Syrah ROCKS.
A photo of a class of California Syrah along w...Image via Wikipedia

Hospice du Rhône is California-based organization of growers of Rhone grapes (including  Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre a famous GSM combination). They are promoting Wednesday, February 16, as a celebration of the world of Syrah for 24 hours! Yes, 24 hours because they are serious about Syrah.

You too can become serious about Syrah by picking up a bottle (or two) of Syrah from your wine shop. Or dig into that cellar of yours or even order Syrah from one of your favorite Rhône producers. Then on Wednesday, February 16th share these wines with friends at a home soirée, at a local restaurant or join online for one big, amazing Syrah tasting!

Syrah is the most commonly recognizable Rhône variety and is grown in just about every wine region throughout the world. Due to its popularity, you can find a bottle of Syrah from France, Australia, Spain, Washington State, California, Oregon, Arizona and beyond at your local wine shop or grocer. By picking up a bottle from a few of these regions you will have the opportunity to taste the unique terroir each of these regions possess. When it comes to food, Syrah is your wine. This admired Rhône variety is extremely food friendly and will pair nicely with anything from lamb kabobs to pepperoni pizza.

What to do: On the day of the event, Tweet, Facebook and blog your thoughts, tasting notes on #Syrah. Ask questions and share facts. Even post a photo to your favorite Social Media site. If Social Media is not your bag, plan an evening in or out with friends that is all about Syrah! The goal of this day is to open a bottle of Syrah and enjoy with friends and family.

The group is encouraging wineries and restaurants to feature Syrah during the event. They even suggested a Syrah happy hour at the office!

If you are tweeting, use the following hashtags: #Syrah or #SyrahDay.

We’ll plan on sampling a nice Syrah and sharing our tasting notes.

Here are some tidbits of Syrah to dazzle your friends:

• Syrah (C-rah)

• Syrah also known as Shiraz (She-raz)

• A highly colored grape with firm structure

• Syrah commonly possesses notes of plum, raspberry, blueberry, blackcurrant, violet, roasted meats, smoke, chocolate, pepper and anise

• Syrah is the prominent grape of Northern Rhône in which the variety originates from

• A heat-loving vine that has adapted well to California’s Central Coast and Eastern Washington State

Technorati Tags: ,


No comments: