Users' questions

What is the difference between Australian Shiraz and Syrah from northern Rhone Valley?

What is the difference between Australian Shiraz and Syrah from northern Rhone Valley?

Syrah and Shiraz are two different names for the same red wine grape (and wines made from that grape). “Syrah” is what it’s called in France’s Rhône Valley, where it is the main red wine grape of the Northern Rhône and a blending grape in the Southern Rhône. “Shiraz” is what winemakers in Australia typically call it.

Is Australian Shiraz dry or sweet?

Is Syrah/Shiraz sweet or dry? Syrah and Shiraz are usually made in dry styles, though occasionally entry-level Shiraz may have a touch of residual sugar (RS). Keep in mind, tasting ripe fruit flavors like blueberry and blackberry, especially in warm-climate Shiraz, is not due to sugar content.

What is the French equivalent of Shiraz?

Syrah
In the United States, wine produced from the grape is normally called by its French name, “Syrah”. However, in cases where winemakers choose to follow a New World style, similar to Penfolds Grange, they may choose to label their wines as “Shiraz”.

What’s the difference between Shiraz and Syrah wine?

A winemaker might bottle a “Shiraz” to indicate they made a rich, lush, riper, more fruit-forward wine in the Australian spirit. Or they might instead call their wine “Syrah” to indicate a more Old World–style wine.

When did Shiraz wine come out in Australia?

In France, where the grape has been cultivated since Roman times, it’s Syrah, appearing most frequently in wines from the Rhône region. In Australia, where it is thought to have been introduced in 1832, the nation’s signature grape is known as Shiraz. Shiraz wine coming from Australia will typically have a New World flavor profile;

How did Syrah and Shiraz get their names?

Syrah and Shiraz wines come from the same grape variety but the use of both names has its historical roots in two powerhouses of production – France’s Rhône Valley and Australia. You say Syrah, I say Shiraz… Credit: Michael Tercha/ Chicago Tribune/ Alamy Live News Syrah and Shiraz are simply two names for the same grape variety.

What’s the difference between Syrah and Rhone wine?

In other words, “The Oxford Companion to Wine” notes, when different regions grow the same varietal, “the resulting wines taste very different, with Australian versions tasting much sweeter and riper, more suggestive of chocolate than the pepper and spices often associated with Syrah in the Rhône.”