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Hey Reader—

Before we get into this week's newsletter, I have fun news: the 2024 Columbia Gorge Syrah from Flipturn Cellars is officially here, and I cannot wait for you to try this one.

Syrah was the first wine I ever made. In 2020, fresh off earning my WSET Level 3 Certification and with zero professional cellar experience, I bought one ton of Syrah from Washington's Yakima Valley to find out whether winemaking was really something I could do.

I made about 50 cases, released the wine in 2022, and it sold out within six months. That Syrah is the reason my winery Flipturn Cellars exists.

I didn't make another Syrah until 2024, my fifth harvest, when I found a sustainably farmed vineyard near Hood River in the Columbia Gorge. This Syrah tells a completely different story than my first one: the 2020 is full-bodied, the kind of wine that feels like being hugged by a blackberry pie, while this new release is juicy, earthy, and vibrant.

Here's the wine-nerd part: Syrah grown in a cooler climate behaves differently than Syrah grown somewhere warmer. Instead of the big, jammy, high-alcohol style a lot of people picture, cooler-climate Syrah tends to lean savory and earthy, with brighter acidity and a more vibrant fruit character.

I made this wine with minimal intervention and native yeast fermentation, aged it in neutral oak to let the fruit lead, and added a small touch of Viognier — a nod to the Côte-Rôtie tradition — for lift and perfume.

Which brings me to something I want more people to try: chilling your red wine. A slight chill — 10 to 15 minutes in the fridge — doesn't make a red thin or simple. It sharpens the acidity and makes the wine feel more alive, especially on a wine built with this much freshness already.

I'm still working out all the pairing possibilities, but grilled lamb, pork chops, sausages, eggplant dishes, olive tapenade, and a good charcuterie board are early favorites for my new 2024 Syrah — anything rosemary- or thyme-forward tends to work.

I opened the first bottle last week at my annual girls' dinner, slightly chilled, with friends who've supported me since Flipturn was barely an idea. This moment meant the world to me. And the bottle disappeared fast.

The 2024 Columbia Gorge Syrah is $45 a bottle, with 15% off six or more and 20% off a full case. Mixed orders qualify, so feel free to add other Flipturn wines alongside the Syrah. I'm heading to Italy from August 17th through 30th, so if you want this in hand before then, order soon — otherwise it'll ship or be ready for pickup when I'm back:

Shop the Syrah Release

Free delivery and pickup are available around Portland, and I ship to most states.

Which brings me to this week's newsletter. I wanted to take this moment to shine a spotlight on one of my favorite grapes, so this entire issue is dedicated to Syrah — where it comes from, how climate completely changes what's in your glass, and what to pair it with.

Let's get into it...

Cheers,

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Sip Smarter: Your Weekly Wine Lesson

Syrah 101: One Grape, Countless Personalities

Since this whole issue is a love letter to Syrah, let's back up and talk about the grape itself — where it comes from, where it grows now, and why the same grape can taste like two completely different wines depending on where it's planted. (Looking at you 2020 vs. 2024)

Where Syrah comes from

Syrah's home base is the Northern Rhône Valley in France, in appellations like Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Saint-Joseph, and Crozes-Hermitage. For a long time, people assumed Syrah originated in Shiraz, Persia, because of the name overlap. DNA testing eventually put that myth to rest: Syrah is actually the offspring of two obscure French grapes, Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche, both from southeastern France. Not nearly as romantic a story, but it's the correct one.

Where it grows now

Syrah has traveled a lot since its Rhône Valley origins. Today you'll find it in:

• Northern & Southern Rhône, France — its ancestral home, and a key blending partner in Southern Rhône wines like Châteauneuf-du-Pape (alongside Grenache and Mourvèdre)
• Australia, where it's called Shiraz and thrives in warmer regions like Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale
• Washington State, especially Walla Walla and the Columbia Valley, where it's become one of the region's signature reds
• California, particularly the Central Coast, Santa Barbara, and Paso Robles
• South Africa, especially around Stellenbosch and Swartland
• Chile, in cooler coastal zones like San Antonio and Leyda
• Smaller but notable plantings in Argentina, Spain, and the Languedoc

Syrah currently ranks as one of the most widely planted red grapes in the world, with well over 190,000 hectares in the ground globally. So there's a very good chance you've had one without realizing how differently it can show up.

The baseline profile

At its core, Syrah tends to be deeply colored, full-bodied, and structured, with firm tannin and medium-to-high acidity. Classic flavors and aromas include blackberry, black plum, and blueberry, layered with black pepper, olive, smoked meat, and violet. It's one of the more savory, wine-nerd red grapes out there — even in its ripest, jammiest expressions, there's usually something a little peppery or gamey happening underneath the fruit.

How region completely changes the story

This is where Syrah gets really fun to talk about, because climate has an enormous influence on how it shows up in the glass.

In the Northern Rhône, Syrah tends to be elegant and savory: think black pepper, violet, olive, and bacon fat, with medium body and racy acidity. This is the more restrained, structured side of the grape.

In warmer regions like Barossa Valley, Australia, Shiraz turns into a completely different animal: riper, jammier, higher in alcohol, with dark chocolate, vanilla, and baked black fruit from generous oak aging. This is the big, plush style a lot of people picture when they hear "Syrah" or "Shiraz."

In cooler pockets like coastal Chile, Syrah leans savory and mineral, sometimes showing black olive brine, white pepper, and citrus peel alongside the fruit — a style that's become a favorite among people who want something less fruit-forward.

And in a place like the Columbia Gorge (hi, new release), you get something in between: juicy red and black fruit, earthy undertones, and brighter acidity than you'd find in a warm-climate Syrah, without losing the grape's naturally savory backbone.

Same grape. Wildly different wine, depending on where — and how — it's grown.

Food pairings

Syrah's combination of dark fruit, pepper, and savory notes makes it a natural with grilled and roasted meats: lamb, venison, peppered steak, and anything off the barbecue. It also loves mushroom dishes, hard aged cheeses, charcuterie, and spice-forward food — like Moroccan tagines or anything leaning on cumin and warm spice. For the cooler-climate style specifically, herb-driven dishes (rosemary, thyme) and olive-forward foods tend to shine.

Fun facts

Syrah and Shiraz are the exact same grape. The name just depends on where you are — most of the world (and increasingly winemakers going for a more "serious" style) uses "Syrah", while Australia and South Africa traditionally use "Shiraz".

Syrah is often confused with Petite Sirah, but they're not the same grape at all. Petite Sirah is actually a grape called Durif, a cross between Syrah and another grape, Peloursin.

In Côte-Rôtie, producers are allowed to co-ferment Syrah with up to 20% Viognier, a white grape, for extra lift, aromatics, and color stability — a tradition I borrowed a small nod to in the new Columbia Gorge release.

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Cork Report

This Week’s Wine News Roundup

1. ​Meet the Winemakers Creating Uncommonly Elegant Syrahs​
2. ​The Future of American Wine Travel Is Less About Luxury and More About Ease​
3. ​Photos show Italian winemakers harvesting grapes earlier due to extreme heat​

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