A high-quality red wine grape that gained its reputation in France's rhône region. In the northern Rhône, Syrah is the principal grape of the esteemed wines from Cornas, Côte-Rôtie, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage and Saint-Joseph. In the southern Rhône, Syrah is used to contribute flavor and structure to the multi-variety wines from châteauneuf-du-pape and côtes-du-rhône. When young, Syrah wines are deep-colored and tannic (see tannin), with spicy and peppery qualities. Mature Syrahs show characteristics of sweet blackberries, blackcurrants and plums. In Australia Syrah is called Shiraz and is that country's most widely planted red grape. In California, the petite sirah grape was long thought to be Syrah, but enologists (see enology) now believe the two varieties are unrelated.