Syrah 1830s. So while the name or spelling "Shiraz" may be an effect of the English language on a French name, there is no evidence that it actually originated in Australia, although it was definitely the Australian usage and the Australian wines that made the use of this name popular. Another legend of the grape variety's origin, based on the name Syrah, is that it was brought from Syracuse by the legions of Roman Emperor Probus sometime after AD 280. This legend also lacks documentary evidence and is inconsistent with ampelographic findings. The wines that made Syrah famous were those from
Sultana (grape) is also dried to make a larger sultana raisin. The sultana raisin was traditionally imported to the English-speaking world from the Ottoman Empire. Turkey and Australia are major producers. American sultana grapes are almost invariably Thompson Seedless, a name that refers to William Thompson, a viticulturist who was an early grower in California and is sometimes credited with introducing the variety. According to the US Code of Federal Regulations, the two names are synonymous. Virtually all of California raisin production (about 97% in 2000) and roughly one-third of California's total grape area is of this variety, making it the single