Penguin Bay Maroon Four 750ml

Winery: Penguin Bay

Varietal: Syrah

The Shiraz or Syrah grape varietal has seen a huge surge in popularity over the past few decades, partly due to the fact that more and more wineries around the world are beginning to plant and process this robust and flavorful grape for international audiences. This varietal has plenty going for it, and has the special ability of being able to clearly express positive features of its terroir in the bottle, alongside its characteristic flavors of dark berries, pepper and other spices. Shiraz/Syrah is also notably a highly versatile grape, and has been successfully used in several type of still red wine, as well as excellent sparkling and fortified wines. It is also regularly used as a blending grape, where it is prized for its ability to add a bold and strong, spicy punch to mellow, blended wines.

Region: New York

Whilst not as well known as certain other United States wine regions, the wines of New York state have plenty to offer, and are packed full of unique characteristics which are gaining popularity on both sides of the Atlantic. New York state enjoys a fine climate for the growing of certain Old World grape varietals – notably those from Germany and central France - and boasts a fine array of excellent hybrid grapes ideal for the cooler, damper weather the state receives. New York state also has a wine heritage which stretches back several hundred years, and certain regions within the area can be traced back to the original Dutch settlers from the 17th century. This mixture of history and innovation still effects the wine production which characterizes the region today, where you'll find traditional wine-making techniques sitting comfortably alongside modern technologies and palates.

Country: United States

Whilst there are several strains of native grape varietals in the United States, it was the introduction of the European species which prompted the country to begin producing wines on a large scale. Over the past few centuries, experimentation and cross-breeding has produced great successes in regards to the quality and suitability of the fruit grown in states such as California, Oregon, Washington and New York, and the past few decades have seen New World wines from the United States reach much higher standards. Arguably the finest United States wines have always come out of California, where the climate and terrroir is most suitable for fine wine production. The masterful blending of classic grape varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, amongst others including Syrah and Chardonnay, have had world beating results in recent years, prompting many to suggest that there has never been a better time for buying and drinking United States wines.