Editing Syrah (section)

=== Modern history ===
Syrah continues to be the main grape of the northern Rhône and is associated with classic wines such as [[Hermitage AOC|Hermitage]], [[Cornas AOC|Cornas]] and [[Côte-Rôtie AOC|Côte-Rôtie]]. In the southern Rhône, it is used as a blending grape in such wines as [[Châteauneuf-du-Pape]], [[Gigondas AOC|Gigondas]] and [[Côtes du Rhône AOC|Côtes du Rhône]], where [[Grenache]] usually makes up the bulk of the blend. Although its best incarnations will [[aging wine|age]] for decades, less-extracted styles may be enjoyed young for their lively red and blueberry characters and smooth [[tannin (wine)|tannin]] structure. Syrah has been widely used as a blending grape in the red wines of many countries due to its fleshy fruit mid-palate, balancing the weaknesses of other varieties and resulting in a "complete" wine.

From the 1970s and even more from the 1990s, Syrah has enjoyed increased popularity, and plantings of the variety have expanded significantly in both old and new locations.<ref name="OCW Syrah" /> In the early 2000s, it broke into the top 10 of varieties planted worldwide for the first time.<ref name="OCW Vine varieties" />