Among the international red wine cultivars, Syrah is, in my opinion, the most mysterious, and there are different legends surrounding its origin. The first legend says that Syrah was a variety that originated in Syria or in nearby Iran and the name comes from Syria. Another legend also says that this variety comes from the far east but that it was Marcus Aurelius Probus, the Roman Emperor, who imported the variety and cultivated it in Sicily around the hills of Syracuse, a prestigious city of that time. Cleopatra, the lover of Marcus Aurelius, adored that type of wine and used to take beauty baths in it.
According to this story, Syracuse was chosen because it was the nearest port to Egypt and the city gave the name to the Syrah variety. Yet another legend says that the Knights Templar (a Catholic military order founded in 1119) brought the Syrah variety to Europe. Indeed, there is supporting evidence that this may have happened because there is Syrah in the region where the Pope later moved and the Vatican started the production of this wine that today is called Châteauneuf-du-pape. Although it's a legend, in 1999, Syrah was found to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern France, Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche and in the Châteauneuf-du-pape AOC, we can find some of the oldest Syrah vines. In fact, wines made with these vines can be aged up to 50 years.
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