WASHINGTON

Syrah’s ascension in Washington State has been swift. First planted in 1986 at Red Willow Vineyard in Yakima Valley, the grape almost immediately garnered attention, with high-quality bottles from the likes of McCrea Cellars and Glen Fiona in the 1990s.

Come 1997, Frenchman Christophe Baron planted the first in a series of vineyards on an ancient cobblestone riverbed in Walla Walla Valley. At Cayuse Vineyards, Baron forever changed Syrah’s fate in the state, putting a focus on single-vineyard, terroir-driven wines. Two years later, K Vintners from Winemaker Charles Smith had its first offerings.

It is the third most produced red variety in the state and makes many of the region’s best wines.

The success of these early advocates and others launched an entire industry. Washington Syrah production was not even tracked until 1999. Today it is the third most produced red variety in the state and makes