There’s a lot of Syrah in California. There’s more Syrah here than there is Pinot Noir in Oregon.

There’s twice as much Syrah in California as the entirety of all grapes planted in the Finger Lakes.

I wouldn’t have said that six years ago. In 2008, during the economic downturn, I tasted a lot of expensive California Syrahs for a company that was, essentially, an unsold-wine discounter. It was dreary work, and I understood why the wines were gathering dust on the shelves.