John Lewis Syrah

Walla Walla Valley, USA

Gramercy Cellars' flagship syrah named for Lewis & Clark's expedition partner and friend, co-founded by Master Sommelier Greg Harrington and his wife Pam. A Rhône-focused Walla Walla producer, Gramercy works with old-vine and estate fruit to produce syrahs of Rhône-inspired restraint: cool-climate inflected, savoury, with olive and pepper notes alongside dark fruit. The John Lewis Syrah is the top expression, consistently showing the Northern Rhône analogy that Walla Walla Valley is capable of at its best.

Pairing intelligence

• main: Lamb and Syrah is one of the great complementary pairings. The wine's black olive and cracked pepper notes are directly mirrored in the Castelvetrano olives and the lamb's gamey fat. Northern Rhône-style Syrahs — which K Vintners explicitly references — are the traditional lamb companion of the Côte-Rôtie and Crozes-Hermitage appellations. This pairing translates the French model to the Pacific Northwest.
• main: Venison's lean, iron-rich meat needs a wine of equivalent weight and fruit density. The blackberry reduction mirrors the Syrah's fruit character; white pepper finish elevates the celeriac's subtle earthiness.
• main: The John Lewis's dense Syrah fruit and northern Rhône spice match venison's gamey iron richness; blackberry reduction mirrors the wine's own brambly register exactly.
• main: The John Lewis's dark spice and structured northern Rhône character are a classic partner for game birds; quince's astringent sweetness mirrors the wine's inherent fruit-tannin tension.
• main: The John Lewis Syrah's dark fruit and structured tannin create a bold contrast to the tuna's lean, delicate protein — the soy-ginger dressing bridges the two through umami, making this an adventurous but considered pairing.