Sirah and Syrah

[zenda2]

There's an interesting read on the origin of Syrah archived on the Spectator from Aug. 31, '01 located at:

http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Archives/Show_Article/1,1275,3322,00.html

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in case the link doesn't work:


Researchers Reveal Hidden Roots of the Rhône's Great Grape Syrah descended from two obscure French varieties

By Lynn Alley

The proud parents? Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche. Their offspring? Syrah, one of the stars of today's global wine industry, appearing in the great reds of France's Northern Rhône Valley, in Australia under the name Shiraz, and in other prominent wine regions such as California and Washington.

Although Syrah's roots were buried with the passage of time, legends about its origins have abounded. Among the popular stories are these: that Syrah came from the city of Shiraz in ancient Persia (now Iran); that it was introduced into France from Cyprus by Crusaders returning home from the Middle East in the 13th century; and that it was carried by Roman legions from Egypt, via Syracuse. But some French winemakers believed the grape was indigenous to France.

Turns out, they were right. Grapevine identification experts Carole Meredith, a professor at the University of California at Davis, and Jean-Michel Boursiquot, of L'École Nationale Superiore Agronomique de Monpellier, have finally set the record straight using DNA testing. The two made the formal announcement at the American Society of Enology and Viticulture convention in late June.

"We first identified the parents in ‘98, but we weren't sure we believed it," said Meredith, whose former graduate student, John Bowers, did much of the initial work. "We thought it was important to build as strong a case as possible before making the definitive announcement."

Mondeuse Blanche is the lesser-known cousin of Mondeuse Noire, a mainstay of wines from France's Savoie region. Dureza, which never obtained substantial recognition, is a traditional variety from France's northern Ardèche region, west of the Rhône River.

The union between the two obscure French varieties is most likely a natural one, occurring before humans learned how to make genetic crosses, said Meredith. Such crosses happen with relative frequency in nature. They just don't often result in such spectacular offspring.

Using DNA samples obtained from the French national grapevine collection, which is overseen by Boursiquot, the researchers began by identifying Syrah's parents using 32 DNA markers, in the same way that DNA testing is used to show relationships between people.

"You normally don't need more than 25 markers to show that a clear relationship exists," explained Meredith. "But because the relationship was a surprise to us, we added an extra 18 to 20 markers for good measure. We've now analyzed Syrah and its parents using 50 DNA markers, which we feel establishes the parentage beyond a reasonable doubt."

Bowers, who is now at the University of Georgia, and Meredith first surprised the wine world in 1997 when they revealed Cabernet Sauvignon to be the progeny of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Later, they discovered that Chardonnay was the chance offspring of the Pinot family and a little-known Central European grape called Gouais Blanc.