tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post7230859409875242811..comments2024-03-08T21:37:38.443-08:00Comments on VinoFictions: CredibilityThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07322028233207741737noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-73492167882853975262007-09-18T12:59:00.000-07:002007-09-18T12:59:00.000-07:00Jay,I found a Web reference that claims Pinot Noir...Jay,<BR/><BR/>I found a Web reference that claims Pinot Noir is an older relative to Syrah.<BR/>http://www.nature.com/hdy/journal/v97/n2/full/6800842a.html<BR/><BR/>That would make Syrah a lot younger than the stories from Iran imply.<BR/><BR/>Of course, with most grapes, the crosses are so extensive taking them back to their beginnings isn't even an option--yet.<BR/><BR/>The fact remains that wine production seems to have begun around the Black Sea and spread from there both east and west. What that means to the genetic make-up of today's approximate 10,000 wine grape varieties is anyone's guess, even the scientists. But it does seem that today's Syrah is not directly from the Near East--but its ancient ancestors still could have been.Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07322028233207741737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-50724184261014309862007-09-18T08:09:00.000-07:002007-09-18T08:09:00.000-07:00From Tom Stevenson's Wine Report 2005 (p348): "Syr...From Tom Stevenson's Wine Report 2005 (p348): "Syrah's origins finally revealed as the result of two minor French varieties -- Mondeuse Blanche from Savoie and Dureza from Ardeche -- putting an end to the more romantic theories of Iranian or Palestinian origin. ... Petit Sirah (also known as Durif) was shown to originate from a cross between Syrah and Peloursin, both French varities." <BR/><BR/>R.I.P. ShirazAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-85554878834691047822007-09-11T07:28:00.000-07:002007-09-11T07:28:00.000-07:00Jay,There was a a time when journalists were subje...Jay,<BR/><BR/>There was a a time when journalists were subject not only to editors but also to fact checkers. Those days seem to be slipping away, or already have.<BR/><BR/>What's the latest news you have on Syrah=Persia/Iran?<BR/><BR/>Having lived in Iran for two years back in the 70s, I know that some red wine I tasted there that was being produced in the South reminded me a lot of Syrah.<BR/><BR/>Of course, I know that history--and science--are always in a state of flux. Yet, I have a suspicion that, while the grape is known to have originated in southern France, it may still have derived from the East. <BR/><BR/>Greeks planted grapes at Marseilles about 600 years before Christ. Wine production then spread north into Gaul. <BR/><BR/>The Greeks got their wine knowledge--and grapes--from Phoenicians about 1200 years before Christ. The Phoenicians traded as far West as Iberia and as far East as Persia--maybe China.<BR/><BR/>With all that traffic back and forth, it is possible that the Greeks brought Syrah or its parent to Marseilles and then plantings spread north through the Rhone. <BR/><BR/>I remain of an open mind on the matter.<BR/><BR/>As to the Bordeaux classification: I believe that any true student of history and of wine history will know that the motivation for the system was to please the Emperor and to reward those with the right connections and money in Bordeaux. Wine quality seemed a secondary consideration...<BR/><BR/>The fact the the system was altered only once, almost proves that wine quality really isn't the issue.<BR/><BR/>Again, I am of an open mind, and perhaps I can proved too cynical on this issue as I may be on many others. ;)Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07322028233207741737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-2821371534724702242007-09-11T05:56:00.000-07:002007-09-11T05:56:00.000-07:00Tom -- As we often encounter from people outside o...Tom -- As we often encounter from people outside or ITB, obtaining accurate information amid the barrage of accidental or intentional misinformation is no small feat. Many ITB including several authors are still erroneously referring to Syrah as possibly originating in Iran. Not to mention widespread misapprehensions about the basis of the1855 Classification of Bordeaux wines. Many prestigious newspapers are no less guilty of bias and disseminating erroneous information. This is not to excuse such acts, only indicate how widespread misinformation is. :-(Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com