The lack of consumer interest in Syrah wines is of keen interest to Washington’s wine industry. Some industry officials estimate there are 3,000 acres planted in the state, with many of the newer plantings just beginning to bear fruit. Syrah tonnage in 2010 was up 9 percent from 2009. Syrah’s lackluster sales are troublesome because many growers planted it thinking it would be the next big thing, said Paul Gregutt, journalist, author, and wine critic. And because there is a time lag between planting and bottling, the problem is not going to go away in the immediate future, he added. […]