Syrah African wines. In the United States, wine produced from the grape is normally called by its French name, "Syrah". However, in cases where winemakers choose to follow a New World style, similar to Penfolds Grange, they may choose to label their wines as "Shiraz". Under American wine laws, either name may appear on the label. Syrah first appeared as a wine grape in California in the 1970s, where it was planted by a group of viticulturists who called themselves "Rhône rangers". Although most plantings of the grape are in California, there are increasing amounts of it being grown in Washington
Syrah University of California, Davis used DNA typing and extensive grape reference material from the viticultural research station in Montpellier, France to conclude that Syrah was the offspring of the grape varieties Dureza (father) and Mondeuse blanche (mother). Dureza, a dark-skinned grape variety from the Ardèche region in France, has all but disappeared from the vineyards, and the preservation of such varieties is a speciality of Montpellier. Mondeuse blanche is a white grape variety cultivated in the Savoy region, and is still found in small amounts in that region's vineyards today. Both varieties are somewhat obscure today, and have never achieved