Two weeks ago, on October 1, I posted a blog entitled "The Syrah Conundrum" on why it's "The Grape that Doesn't Sell." Last week, Greg Harrington, who was quoted as saying that Syrah is Washington's best grape, posted my article on Gramercy Cellars' Facebook page. Here are some comments:

"Rand nailed it..." - Kevin Pogue, Geology Professor at Whitman and terroir expert (Vinterra Consulting)

"Well said Rand. And I will add my voice to the chorus that it is Washington's best grape. Whenever anyone else asks I always say Syrah without hesitation." - Sean Sullivan, Washington Wine Report (www.wawinereport.com)

"Ahaha...Go SJR!!" - Brooke Robertson, co-owner of the SJR Vineyard (Delmas Cellars) in the "Rocks" of the South Walla Walla Valley

"Yes...explains a lot about why 1) there are so many Syrahs coming out of WA and 2) the great variety between them all. Excellent categories...very helpful." - Brian Hope

"Go FUNKADELIC!" - Trey Busch, owner-winemaker at Sleight of Hand Cellars, in refrence to his Syrah from the Funk Vineyard in the Rocks.

Then, a few days later I saw an article from Wines & Vines (a wine industry publication) entitled "Wine's Biggest Winners and Losers" about a survey of wine sales by varietal by the Symphony IRI Group. In it, Curtis Mann, director of the Chicago based market research firm, noted that Red blends/Meritage and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc were the big winners and Syrah the biggest loser. The latter shrank 16% overall, with sales droping to $58 million. The Wine & Vines articlce commented:

One common criticism of Syrah is that wines styles vary so widely that consumers don't know what to expect when they buy a bottle. Another is that the U.S. hasn't developed a marquee winery to wave the flag for the varietal. "There's no Opus One of Syrah," Mann observed, "so I think it's more of a marketing problem than anything." This proliferation of Syrah styles is an issue that my Blog article, "The Syrah Conundrum" addresses.

The Wines & Vines article added, "One bright spot, however, was that California and Washington Syrah in SIG's highest proce segment, $20 plus did grow well." This is pretty much in line with the my observation that the Cultist, Purist and Terroirist categories have distinctive styles that serious consumers can appreciate, bearing out the premise that Syrah is, indeed, Washington's best grape.

To see the article, "The Syrah Conundrum," scroll down this page, to the 1 October posting.