The difference between Syrah and Shiraz is mainly in the name. As Shakespeare might say, if he were alive today , What’s in a name? That which we call Shiraz is simply the Australian title of France’s Syrah.
The Syrah wine grape, referred to as Shiraz in Australia, is indigenous to the Rhone Valley, in southeastern France, where it still thrives today . Syrah and Shiraz wines are made from exactly the same variety of grape but, as with any other grape variety, the flavor is significantly dependent on the various terroir and winemaking variations it’s created under. Even in the Rhone Valley itself, there is an massive difference between the way Syrah is used in the northern and southern wine-producing regions.
Northern Rhone reds are typically produced from 100% Syrah grapes and generally identified as being powerful, manly, meaty, leathery, strapping, vigorous, serious, peppery, bold, and so on. These wines are dark, intense, and masculine wines that generally call for years of age to subdue their strong tannins. This is particularly true of the Syrahs made in the Hermitage appellation, some of which are classed among the world’s best wines.
Southern Rhone reds are commonly blends of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre. The most famous Southern Rhone appellation, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, permits the use of 13 different grape varieties, but the most important are the three aforementioned varieties, especially Grenache. These are also deep colored and sturdy reds, but they are a lot more approachable than their northern neighbors, and personally, I prefer the Southern Rhones due to the fact I find them to be much more food-friendly.
Shiraz, as its referred to Down Under, is Australia’s most important red wine grape. It’s also the most extensively planted, with upwards of 100,000 acres of vineyard dedicated to it, which makes Australia the world’s 2nd greatest producer of Syrah/Shiraz, immediately following France. Australian Shiraz runs the gamut in terms of both price and quality. It not hard to discover some quite drinkable Shiraz and Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon blends for under $10.00. At the opposite end of the spectrum is Penfolds Grange. This is Australia’s one truly iconic wine, and it can be as expensive as a fine Bordeaux or Burgundy. Performing a fast Google search, I found the Penfolds Grange 2005, the most current release at time of writing, at prices ranging from $360.00 to $550.00 per bottle, and many of the most sought after vintages can can cost thousands of dollars to make part of your wine cellar . This is also a big, powerful and masculine wine (normally 100% Shiraz, but blended with a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon in some vintages) but very easily distinguishable from Northern Rhone Syrah due to the differing terroir and, in no small part, from the fact that Penfolds Grange is aged in new American oak barrels.
California, with over 20,000 acres of Syrah vineyards, is the other bigimportant producer of Syrah varietals and blends. Naturally, a lot of excellent Syrahs are madeproduced in Napa Valley and Sonoma, but recently it has become an big player in the Central Coast region–particularly in Paso Robles and Santa Barbara County. In actual fact, Wine Spectator named a Paso Robles wine, Saxum Winery’s James Berry Vineyard Paso Robles 2007, its wine of the year for 2010. Being a blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah, it’s made very much in the Southern Rhone style. Two Santa Barbara County Syrahs also won slots in the top 100 list: Tensley’s Syrah Santa Barbara County Colson Canyon Vineyard 2008 and Zaca Mesa’s Syrah Santa Ynez Valley 2006, at no. 17 and 29 respectively.
The Syrahs made in Washington State have also lately been winning accolades, from wine critics and drinkers alike . The other Syrah producing nations are South Africa (where it’s commonly referred to as Shiraz, but labeled Syrah for wines produced in the Rhone style), Argentina and Chile. Just to make matters a lot more confusing, there is another varietal, mainly grown in California, known as Petite Sirah or Petite Syrah that is really not Syrah, but instead a cross between Syrah and an obscure Rhone grape called Peloursin. The hybrid was found in 1880 by a French botanist, Francois Durif, who named the new varietal after himself. It’s now referred to as Durif in Australia, and Petite Sirah in California and Israel.
If you’d like to learn more concerning different wine varietals, particularly those made in California, or are interested in wine tours in Santa Barbara County, then why not visit Eric Hilton’s website, at http://santabarbarawinetours.org.
0 Comments.