Syrah grape (Vitis vinifera L.)
Syrah (ampelographic synonym “Shiraz”) is a wine grape variety belonging to the species Vitis vinifera, in the botanical family Vitaceae. The bunches are usually compact, with small to medium berries, a thick dark blue-violet skin and juicy pulp. It is grown in many countries (notably France, Australia, South Africa and Mediterranean wine regions) and adapts well to warm or temperate climates, producing wines with good structure.
As a food “ingredient”, Shiraz grapes are primarily intended for winemaking and are used to produce deeply colored red wines, often showing notes of dark fruits (blackberry, plum), spices (black pepper) and, depending on terroir and ageing, balsamic, toasted or chocolate hints. The berries, like those of other wine grapes, contain sugars, organic acids, polyphenols (including tannins and resveratrol) and small amounts of vitamins and minerals. Fresh consumption is less common than for table grapes, but they can occasionally be used in small quantities in culinary preparations paired with Shiraz wines, such as sauces, reductions or meat dishes.
Common name: Syrah grape (also known as Shiraz)
Parent plant: Vitis vinifera L.
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Vitales
Family: Vitaceae
Genus: Vitis
Species: Vitis vinifera L.
Cultivar: Syrah (Shiraz)
Cultivation and growth conditions
Climate:
Syrah adapts very well to warm and temperate climates, where it can fully develop its aromatic profile. It is widely cultivated in Mediterranean regions, mild continental areas, and locations with strong sun exposure. It is sensitive to excessive humidity and waterlogging, which favor fungal diseases. It shows good tolerance to drought.
Sun exposure:
It requires full sun. Plenty of light ensures optimal skin maturation, which is crucial for color, tannins, and aromatic complexity. Well-ventilated hillsides are ideal to reduce moisture accumulation around the clusters.
Soil:
Syrah performs best in well-drained soils, especially:
Clay-limestone soils, which provide structure and freshness.
Gravelly or sandy soils, which enhance drainage and concentration of flavors.
The ideal pH is between 6.0 and 7.5. Heavy or waterlogged soils increase the risk of root diseases.
Irrigation:
Generally low-maintenance, Syrah still benefits from moderate irrigation during key stages such as fruit set and veraison, especially in very arid environments. Excessive water lowers fruit quality and dilutes aromatic compounds.
Temperature:
Fertilization:
Syrah requires balanced and moderate fertilization:
Nitrogen: essential but must be carefully dosed to prevent excess vegetative growth.
Phosphorus: supports flowering and fruit set.
Potassium: crucial for sugar accumulation, color development, and phenolic maturity.
Organic matter improves soil structure and water retention.
Crop care:
Winter and green pruning to regulate yield and improve canopy aeration.
Canopy management to increase light exposure and reduce disease pressure.
Monitoring for powdery mildew, downy mildew, and botrytis, to which Syrah can be sensitive.
Control of grape moths and other pests when necessary.
Harvest:
Harvest generally occurs between late summer and early autumn, when the grapes reach full sugar and phenolic maturity. Clusters develop a deep, dark color, with skins rich in polyphenols and aromas of black fruits and spices.
Propagation:
Syrah is propagated mainly by cuttings or by grafting onto resistant rootstocks, selected according to soil type and climate. Grafting ensures controlled vigor and resistance to phylloxera.
Caloric value (fresh berries, 100 g)
Approximately 65–75 kcal per 100 g (dominated by simple sugars; during winemaking these ferment to ethanol).
Key constituents
Fermentable sugars: glucose and fructose (typical harvest °Brix ≈ 22–25).
Organic acids: tartaric (predominant) and malic; must pH generally 3.3–3.7, TA ≈ 5–7 g/L expressed as tartaric acid.
Polyphenols: anthocyanins (malvidin-3-glucoside predominant), flavonols (quercetin), and tannins from skins and seeds.
Aroma/precursors: minor terpenes and norisoprenoids; rotundone (sesquiterpene linked to black-pepper notes); trace sulfur compounds.
Yeast nutrients: YAN (yeast-assimilable nitrogen) varies and is critical for healthy fermentation kinetics.
Production process
Viticulture: canopy management for sugar/acid balance and sunburn control; targeted leaf removal to influence phenolics and cluster health; moderate yields for concentration.
Harvest: timed by °Brix, pH, TA, and phenolic maturity (seed/skin); hand or machine harvest with sorting.
Red vinification: destemming and optional crushing; controlled sulfiting; yeast inoculation; skin maceration (several days to >20) with pump-overs or délestage; temperature management; optional post-fermentation maceration; pressing/racking; malolactic fermentation as desired.
Maturation: stainless/concrete for fruit-driven styles; oak (barrique, tonneau, large casks) for tannin integration and complexity; oxygen management with attention to TPO.
Alternative styles: rosé via saignée; historic co-fermentation with small portions of white grapes in some regions to stabilize color and lift aromatics.
Bottling: tartaric/protein stability, filtration, final sulfiting, and control of dissolved oxygen (DO).
Sensory and technological properties
Color: deep ruby-purple due to high anthocyanin content.
Aromas: blackberry, plum, violet; black pepper (rotundone) is more evident in cooler sites; warmer climates emphasize ripe dark fruit, licorice, and occasional chocolate notes.
Palate: medium- to full-bodied, medium-to-firm tannins; moderate acidity; potential alcohol 13–15.5% ABV depending on ripeness.
Technology: strong extractive capacity; maceration time/temperature balance color and tannin; micro-oxygenation or oak aids polymerization and integration.
Food applications
Predominantly red still wines across a broad stylistic range; rosé; blending with other varieties; pomace distillates; wine vinegars; culinary use of must/wine in reductions and sauces.
Nutrition and health
Grapes provide water, simple sugars, and polyphenols; in wine, alcohol content necessitates responsible consumption. Polyphenols drive color and astringency; nutritional impact depends on portion and dietary context.
Quality and specification themes
Grapes: target °Brix 22–25 with coherent TA/pH, microbiological soundness, residues within limits; intact skins and seeds.
Must/wine: color (anthocyanin indices), TPI (total polyphenol index), YAN, fermentation kinetics; SO₂ free/total; turbidity/filtration index; DO/TPO under control; tartaric stability.
Compliance with appellation/production standards, full traceability, and cellar GMP.
Storage and shelf life
Grapes: pre-processing cold chain, protection from oxidation/contamination; minimal delay between harvest and crushing.
Wine: stable temperature, darkness, low DO; suitable glass and closures; ongoing SO₂ monitoring.
Allergens and safety
Grapes are not listed as major allergens; wines contain sulfites (added or endogenous) and must be labeled accordingly. Cellar hygiene should prevent spoilage organisms (e.g., Brettanomyces and volatile phenols).
Cosmetic (INCI) functions
Common grape-derived entries include Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil (emollient/occlusive) and Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit/Leaf/Skin Extract (antioxidant, skin conditioning, mild astringent). Grape-seed oil is appreciated for its PUFA/MUFA profile and tocopherols; skin/seed extracts for proanthocyanidins.
Troubleshooting
Muted pepper note: over-ripe fruit or warm ferments → advance harvest slightly, cool fruit/must, manage reductively to retain rotundone.
Hard/astringent tannins: over-extraction or unripe seeds → shorten maceration, avoid seed breakage, consider oak integration or micro-oxygenation.
Sluggish/stuck fermentation: low YAN or sub-optimal temperature → supplement nutrients and manage inoculation/thermal profile.
Premature oxidation: elevated DO/TPO → improve inert-gas practices, headspace control, and oxygen barriers.
Animal/phenolic faults: Brett contamination → barrel sanitation, adequate SO₂, and strict hygiene.
Sustainability and supply chain
Integrated/organic viticulture, careful water/energy management, reduced copper/sulfur inputs, by-product valorization (skins, seeds), and effluent control against BOD/COD targets reduce footprint. Lightweight/recyclable packaging and efficient logistics further lower emissions.
Conclusion
Syrah delivers stylistic versatility and a distinctive sensory signature—deep color, spice, and dark fruit. Quality hinges on technological and phenolic ripeness, disciplined maceration and oxygen management, and well-chosen maturation; with these controls, stable, expressive, and age-worthy wines are achievable.
Mini-glossary
°Brix — Percent soluble solids in must; proxy for sugar ripeness.
pH — Measure of acidity affecting color stability, extraction, and microbial ecology.
TA — Titratable acidity (as tartaric g/L); gauges acid backbone.
YAN — Yeast-assimilable nitrogen; key nutrient pool for fermentation.
TPI — Total polyphenol index; spectrophotometric estimate of phenolic load/structure.
SO₂ — Sulfur dioxide (free/total); antioxidant and antimicrobial in oenology.
DO — Dissolved oxygen; oxygen in wine prior to or separate from packaging.
TPO — Total package oxygen; oxygen present at bottling in wine plus headspace.
ABV — Alcohol by volume; volumetric alcohol content of wine.
PUFA/MUFA — Poly/monounsaturated fatty acids; lipid classes relevant to grape-seed oil.
BOD/COD — Biochemical/chemical oxygen demand; indicators of effluent organic load and environmental impact.
GMP — Good manufacturing practice; cellar process and hygiene standards.
INCI — International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients; standardized cosmetic ingredient naming.
Sulfites — Sulfur-based preservatives/antioxidants in wine; labeling required where present.
References__________________________________________________________________________
Kang W, Bindon KA, Wang X, Muhlack RA, Smith PA, Niimi J, Bastian SEP. Chemical and Sensory Impacts of Accentuated Cut Edges (ACE) Grape Must Polyphenol Extraction Technique on Shiraz Wines. Foods. 2020 Jul 31;9(8):1027. doi: 10.3390/foods9081027.
Abstract. Accentuated Cut Edges (ACE) is a recently developed grape must extraction technique, which mechanically breaks grape skins into small fragments but maintains seed integrity. This study was the first to elucidate the effect of ACE on Shiraz wine's basic chemical composition, colour, phenolic compounds, polysaccharides and sensory profiles. A further aim was to investigate any potential influence provided by ACE on the pre-fermentation water addition to must. ACE did not visually affect Shiraz wine colour, but significantly enhanced the concentration of tannin and total phenolics. Wine polysaccharide concentration was mainly increased in response to the maceration time rather than the ACE technique. ACE appeared to increase the earthy/dusty flavour, possibly due to the different precursors released by the greater skin breakage. The pre-fermentation addition of the water diluted the wine aromas, flavours and astringency profiles. However, combining the ACE technique with water addition enhanced the wine textural quality by increasing the intensities of the crucial astringent wine quality sub-qualities, adhesive and graininess. Furthermore, insights into the chemical factors influencing the astringency sensations were provided in this study. This research indicates that wine producers may use ACE with pre-fermentation water dilution to reduce the wine alcohol level but maintain important textural components.
Antalick G, Šuklje K, Blackman JW, Meeks C, Deloire A, Schmidtke LM. Influence of Grape Composition on Red Wine Ester Profile: Comparison between Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz Cultivars from Australian Warm Climate. J Agric Food Chem. 2015 May 13;63(18):4664-72. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5b00966.
Abstract. The relationship between grape composition and subsequent red wine ester profile was examined. Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, from the same Australian very warm climate vineyard, were harvested at two different stages of maturity and triplicate wines were vinified. Grape analyses focused on nitrogen and lipid composition by measuring 18 amino acids by HPLC-FLD, 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and 6 C6-compounds derived from lipid degradation by GC-MS. Twenty esters and four higher alcohols were analyzed in wines by HS-SPME-GC-MS. Concentrations of the ethyl esters of branched acids were significantly affected by grape maturity, but the variations were inconsistent between cultivars. Small relative variations were observed between wines for ethyl esters of fatty acids, whereas higher alcohol acetates displayed the most obvious differences with concentrations ranging from 1.5- to 26-fold higher in Shiraz than in Cabernet Sauvignon wines regardless of the grape maturity. Grape analyses revealed the variations of wine ester composition might be related to specific grape juice nitrogen composition and lipid metabolism. To the authors' knowledge the present study is the first to investigate varietal differences in the ester profiles of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon wines made with grapes harvested at different maturity stages.
Davies C, Nicholson EL, Böttcher C, Burbidge CA, Bastian SE, Harvey KE, Huang AC, Taylor DK, Boss PK. Shiraz wines made from grape berries (Vitis vinifera) delayed in ripening by plant growth regulator treatment have elevated rotundone concentrations and "pepper" flavor and aroma. J Agric Food Chem. 2015 Mar 4;63(8):2137-44. doi: 10.1021/jf505491d.
Abstract. Preveraison treatment of Shiraz berries with either 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) or Ethrel delayed the onset of ripening and harvest. NAA was more effective than Ethrel, delaying harvest by 23 days, compared to 6 days for Ethrel. Sensory analysis of wines from NAA-treated fruit showed significant differences in 10 attributes, including higher "pepper" flavor and aroma compared to those of the control wines. A nontargeted analysis of headspace volatiles revealed modest differences between wines made from control and NAA- or Ethrel-treated berries. However, the concentration of rotundone, the metabolite responsible for the pepper character, was below the level of detection by solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in control wines, low in Ethrel wines (2 ng/L), and much higher in NAA wines (29 ng/L). Thus, NAA, and to a lesser extent Ethrel, treatment of grapes during the preveraison period can delay ripening and enhance rotundone concentrations in Shiraz fruit, thereby enhancing wine "peppery" attributes.
Fang Y, Kravchuk O, Taylor DK. Chemical Changes in Grape Stem and Their Relationship to Stem Color throughout Berry Ripening in Vitis vinifera L. cv Shiraz. J Agric Food Chem. 2015 Feb 4;63(4):1242-1250. doi: 10.1021/jf504215e.
Abstract. Little attention has been paid to the color change or chemical compositional changes that occur in grape stems and how this correlates with the berry ripening process. Recently we have found that the change in grape peduncle color of Shiraz (Vitis vinifera) from green at veraison to predominantly brown at harvest occurs in parallel with berry ripening and as such may represent a new way of assisting in the prediction of grape maturity and harvest date. We have now investigated further the link between certain key chemical compositional changes that occur in the grape stem (peduncle and rachis) from veraison to harvest and how these attributes correlate with the observed color change in the vineyard. We report that peduncle moisture content has an excellent linear correlation with the color hue value and is negatively correlated in a strong fashion with the chlorophyll and carotenoid pigment ratio (Ca+b/Cx+c) within the peduncles. Significant differences in the moisture content, total chlorophylls (including chlorophyll a and b levels), total carotenoids, total phenolics, and the antioxidant capacity (DPPH) levels between the peduncles and rachises were found as they evolve from veraison to harvest. Finally, we have demonstrated for the first time that peduncle moisture content codevelops with the prototypical berry ripeness parameters (oBrix, pH, TA), which provides for the development of a new approach for viticulturists and winemakers to evaluate grape ripeness through peduncle moisture levels and therefore assist in harvest decision making.
Boss PK, Davies C, Robinson SP. Analysis of the Expression of Anthocyanin Pathway Genes in Developing Vitis vinifera L. cv Shiraz Grape Berries and the Implications for Pathway Regulation. Plant Physiol. 1996 Aug;111(4):1059-1066. doi: 10.1104/pp.111.4.1059.
Abstract. Anthocyanin synthesis in Vitis vinifera L. cv Shiraz grape berries began 10 weeks postflowering and continued throughout berry ripening. Expression of seven genes of the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway (phenylalanine ammonia lyase [PAL], chalcone synthase [CHS], chalcone isomerase [CHI], flavanone-3-hydroxylase [F3H], dihydroflavonol 4-reductase [DFR], leucoanthocyanidin dioxygen-ase [LDOX], and UDP glucose-flavonoid 3-o-glucosyl transferase [UFGT]) was determined. In flowers and grape berry skins, expression of all of the genes, except UFGT, was detected up to 4 weeks postflowering, followed by a reduction in this expression 6 to 8 weeks postflowering. Expression of CHS, CHI, F3H, DFR, LDOX, and UFGT then increased 10 weeks postflowering, coinciding with the onset of anthocyanin synthesis. In grape berry flesh, no PAL or UFGT expression was detected at any stage of development, but CHS, CHI, F3H, DFR, and LDOX were expressed up to 4 weeks postflowering. These results indicate that the onset of anthocyanin synthesis in ripening grape berry skins coincides with a coordinated increase in expression of a number of genes in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway, suggesting the involvement of regulatory genes. UFGT is regulated independently of the other genes, suggesting that in grapes the major control point in this pathway is later than that observed in maize, petunia, and snapdragon.
Garrido-Bañuelos G, Buica A, Schückel J, Zietsman AJJ, Willats WGT, Moore JP, Du Toit WJ. Investigating the relationship between grape cell wall polysaccharide composition and the extractability of phenolic compounds into Shiraz wines. Part I: Vintage and ripeness effects. Food Chem. 2019 Apr 25;278:36-46. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.10.134. Epub 2018 Oct 30. PMID: 30583384.
Garrido-Bañuelos G, Buica A, Schückel J, Zietsman AJJ, Willats WGT, Moore JP, Du Toit WJ. Investigating the relationship between cell wall polysaccharide composition and the extractability of grape phenolic compounds into Shiraz wines. Part II: Extractability during fermentation into wines made from grapes of different ripeness levels. Food Chem. 2019 Apr 25;278:26-35. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.10.136. Epub 2018 Oct 30. PMID: 30583371.
Souza EL, Nascimento TS, Magalhães CM, Barreto GA, Leal IL, Dos Anjos JP, Machado BAS. Development and Characterization of Powdered Antioxidant Compounds Made from Shiraz (Vitis vinifera L.) Grape Peels and Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea L.). ScientificWorldJournal. 2022 Apr 26;2022:7664321. doi: 10.1155/2022/7664321.
Syrah grape 
