CALIFORNIA

Nearly two decades ago, it was a sip of cool-climate Syrah that revealed to me the sensory magic of wine—the way that fermented grape juice can taste more like cured meat, dried flowers and cracked pepper than just simple fruit and smoked wood. To this day, Syrah from cooler regions, whether the wind-whipped Northern Rhône or California’s ocean-chilled Central Coast, still fascinates my palate most.

The compound that causes these expressions is called rotundone, which also shows up in peppercorns and rosemary.

Such spice, game and floral notes aren’t for everybody, and