Northern Rhone
The Northern Rhone may not be the exact epicenter of where the Syrah vine first appeared (which supposedly is about 35 miles southeast of there), however it is the benchmark by which all other Syrah wines are measured. Whether or not French Syrah is the best is entirely up to you, but one thing is for certain: the Northern Rhone produces Syrah very unlike other regions in terms of style and it makes it a fascinating region to try to understand. Beyond just reds, there are also 3 other grapes from this area that can claim the Rhone as their place of origin and they are: Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne.
The deeply terroir-driven Northern Rhone is a natural extension of the Burgundian philosophy. The most famous producers of the northern Rhone are still family enterprises which vinify their own grapes and work manually. In the north, the two leading appellations for red wines are Hermitage and Cote-Rotie, while Condrieu is home to some terrific Viognier bottlings. The appellations Crozes-Hermitage, Cornas, St Joseph and St Peray also produce some fabulous wines.
