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+--- Thread: Sheraz? (/thread-18381.html)
- zmarcndenise - 06-05-2002
Does anyone actually know where this wine originated? (Sheraz)
I'm hoping I have the spelling correct!
I was told that it originated in Iran and when the war broke out many years ago several had to flee. Some of the native Iranian's took this wine to France and started to produce it there over a decade ago, Thus causing some to say the French "ripped off" this wine from Iran. In actuality it is more probable that it was sold to the French so this wine could continue to develop. I Didn't know they produce wine; or grapes for that matter in Iran?
Does anyone agree with my boss that this "Sharaz" France didn't exist until The people of Iran took this wine to them?
He is from Iran and owns several of his own resturants here in Houston. He happens to be a wonderful guy who is amused in finding varification of his analisys and he's also my employer. I am a bartender and server at one of his establishments. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]
I would be very curious about the accuracy of his conclusion. (So would he!) LOL
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Denise Zientek
- Kcwhippet - 06-06-2002
Welcome to the board, Denise. The actual origins of the grape are obscure, certainly many thousands of years old, and most likely from the area of Shiraz in Iran. The Greeks, not the Iranians (or the Persians back then), took the grape to France about 500 B.C. and planted it in the Rhone valley. That's over 2,500 years ago, so it wasn't a recent event brought about by a war. Nobody "ripped off" the Iranians, and they are certainly welcome to make wine from the grapes around their town of Shiraz and sell it on the world market. Over the centuries, by the way, the name evolved in France to Syrah, so you'll find the wine called either Shiraz or Syrah depending generally on where it's made.
- Thomas - 06-06-2002
The history cited above has been the general information, but lately new findings dispute it, mainly that the syrah grape is from another French variety, the name of which I cannot remember. It's that old DNA research again, and I believe we have something about this story in the "Rhone Variety" forum.
Also, Iran (Persia) has been producing wine since its birth as a civilization; in fact, the discovery of grape vine cultivation for wine developed in the area that now touches the borders of Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, et al. In the nineteen seventies I lived in Iran, and boy did they make good Riesling in the north and Shiraz in the south. Although Iran is a Muslim religious state that has banned alcohol consumption, in 1997 the country produced more than half a million tons of grapes, and they can't eat all that...
Incidentally, as with some Christians and their interpretation of the Christian Bible, some Muslims claim the Koran prohibits wine, but many interpretations of the Koran actually show that it merely discourages the consumption of wine, and of course it promises a land of "milk, honey and wine..." to the faithful--but only after they kick-off.
[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 06-06-2002).]