One of the most wonderful aspects of California as a grape-growing region is the virtually unmatched diversity in growing sites. From the cool coastal regions like Santa Rita Hills and Sonoma Coast to the warm valleys of Sonoma and Napa to the hot areas like Lodi and Amador and the higher-elevation areas west of the Sierras like Eldorado. You would be hard pressed to find another growing region on Earth with both the climatic and geographical diversity of this state. (I’m sure the French may disagree, but they probably won’t read this anyway.) This incredible diversity means that not all varietals will ripen correctly in all areas. I don’t want to name names, but let’s just say that Cabernet from San Diego isn’t too good, and I contend that Sauvignon Blanc ripens so well that it almost has none of the Loire’s minerality or zestfulness, leaving it as uninteresting as a Steven Seagal straight-to-DVD movie. But, there is one group of grapes that seems to be incredibly adaptable to the different parts of this state, and there’s an advocacy group working hard to advance this agenda: The group is The Rhone Rangers, and I’m sure you can guess the group of grapes. The Rhone growing region in France officially has 22 varietals of grapes permitted for planting, with the primary four being Roussanne, Viognier, Syrah and Grenache. And guess what? They all do amazingly well here in many parts of this state. Let’s focus on Syrah. The mysterious, full-bodied, sometimes smokey, sometimes jammy wines are true chameleons. I don’t think there is a better wine example that truly shows its terroir while still being adaptable to many different climates and soils. The good news for wine lovers is that plantings of Syrah are on the rise in this state, and for that we can thank winemakers and growers in The Rhone Rangers. This group was formed in the ’80s by Bob Lindquist of Qupé Wine Cellars, Randall Graham of Bonny Doon, and John Alban of Alban Vineyards. Their stated mission is, “Advancing the knowledge and enjoyment of Rhone wines produced in America.” John Alban was allegedly the first to plant Syrah in the Central Coast — arguably the state’s most revered region for the grape. The stretch of land between Santa Ynez/Santa Barbara up through Santa Maria and Edna Valley, San Luis Obispo and finishing around Paso Robles might just be the epicenter of great Syrah. Yet, as I finish that statement, I can’t ignore the amazing Syrah coming from Monterey, or the amazingly Hermitage-like juice coming from Carneros & Russian River. What about those big brooding examples from Lodi, or the unfortunately under-represented ones from Napa? Lake County has some great examples too. This might surprise you, but the best Syrah I’ve ever tasted from California was from San Diego! South Coast Winery’s Wild Horse Peak vineyard at 2,400 feet produces a scant 1.5 ton/acre per winemaker Jon McPherson. Less fruit equals more interesting juice. The point here is that Syrah truly can grow anywhere in this state AND show well, albeit differently. Syrah plays really nicely in the vineyard. It is late blooming, resistant to rot and ripens early. This means that the grower can feel good about quality fruit every year as the blooming avoids Spring frosts, and it gets harvested early, missing the Fall rains. It ages well with the full fruit, medium-to-high alcohol and firm tannins. It’s probably best aged in American oak (again, don’t tell that to any French people you know). Syrah pairs extremely well with food. It will stand-in for a Cab just beautifully when paired with grilled meats, and it will make your eyes roll back when coupled with some tangy Santa Maria tri-tip. Who should be drinking California Syrah? You! Unlike some of the other red wines, Syrah is approachable when young, affordable, and very readily available. You can’t go wrong with any of the Qupé wines. Bob actually makes five or six different Syrahs depending on the vintage. They’re all from different vineyards, or different blocks in the same vineyard. Zaca Mesa in Santa Ynez has been committed to Rhone varietals since the ‘80s. Not surprisingly, many of the Rhone Rangers’ biggest advocates came through Zaca Mesa at some point: Bob Lindquist of Qupé, Ken Brown of Byron, Lane Tanner and Adam Tolmach of Ojai. And to go for the hat trick of sticking it to the French in this article, President Clinton served Zaca Mesa Syrah to French President Chirac when he first visited the White House. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but I would say that Syrah can’t be imitated. It’s far too unique to its site to be made to look like something else. Grab a bottle of California Syrah and have a one night stand with it. You’ll likely fall in love! — Mike Kallay and his wife, Stephanie, own The Cask Room, a wine bar in East Village. www.thecaskroom.com