Shiraz

Shiraz, often also referred to as Syrah in France and the Old World, is one of the world’s most important red wine grapes. The opaque red wine has a ruby-red/purple colour because it is made from red thick-skinned grapes that deliver clear and distinct features and characteristics. Over the last 20 years, Shiraz experienced an enormous popularity boost amongst red wine drinkers and increased production and quintupled its worldwide acreage.

The popular red wine originated from France and was given the name Syrah. However, the grape has been successfully planted across the globe. When it was grown in Australia, the grape was given the name Shiraz. These two designations are still valid and often refer to the style that winemakers try to imitate. Today, the leading Shiraz/Syrah producing countries next to France are Australia, Spain, Argentina, South Africa, the US, and Chile.

To be cultivated in the best possible way, the grape variety needs a hot and dry climate. That’s the reason wine producers grow the Shiraz grape in their vineyards in the Barossa Valley, the Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills, and the McLaren Vale. When cultivated in warmer climates, the wines are more fruit-driven, and the flavours reflect the environment in which they have been grown.

The New World, especially the coastal regions of Australia, provide the perfect climate conditions for the Shiraz to grow in. Additionally, the grape grows best on the rocky terroir of the Australian hillsides. Best terroir for a Shiraz includes gravel, limestone, and red sandy soils.

However, it is also possible to cultivate the wine in slightly cooler climate regions. This often goes hand in hand with calling the wine Syrah instead of Shiraz. For example, winemakers in the Yarra Valley grow a Syrah instead of a Shiraz, and the result is a leaner, more acid red wine.

When drinking a Shiraz prepare to drink a wine that comes with a punch in the beginning. While taking your first sips, you experience all the flavours immediately before they start fading away. For that reason, winemakers also use Cabernet Sauvignon to blend it with Shiraz because doing so makes the wine taste milder on the tongue.

What does Shiraz taste like?

Shiraz doesn’t offer that one unique taste like other red wine does. The reason for that is the wine’s flavours come down to the climate the grape is exposed to, the soil on which the wine is cultivated as well as regional winemaking styles. However, certain unique characteristics remain the same no matter where the wine is growing, and therefore offers a taste for everyone and every tastebud.

When buying a Shiraz, you are typically purchasing a full-bodied and bold red wine. The wine offers intense, aromatic flavours of peppery spices, darker fruits and meat, as well as smoky and earthy aromas. Depending on the winemaker’s style, you will get a lush, fruity red wine or a rather tannic and dense variant. When aged in oak barrels, a subtle hint of vanilla and clove can be tasted, and tannins are rather dominant.

Because Shiraz is mainly grown in warmer climates, its taste is different from what the cooler climate counterpart offers in terms of flavours to the palette. If you prefer a bold and full-body red wine, make a Shiraz your first choice. The purple-red wine's robust flavours include fruity notes of blueberries, black plums, cassis, blackberries, black peppery spices, and ripe tannins. The alcohol levels are also slighter higher in this one.

Looking at the cooler climate Syrah, you will also get a full-bodied, dry red wine but the acidity and tannins have slightly increased. At the same time, the level of alcohol slightly decreased compared to the bigger and bolder Shiraz. Your taste buds will experience more smokiness, a subtler mix of red and black fruits, and less peppery spices. A Syrah will often be more balanced and lighter than its punchy warmer climate counterpart.

How do you serve Shiraz?

As for every red wine, there is also an ideal temperature range when serving Shiraz. The red wine needs a temperature between sixteen and eighteen degrees Celsius so that its flavours can really shine. The higher alcohol levels of the red wine require a certain cooling so that the alcohol doesn’t taste too sharp. But don’t serve too cold either because you will mute most of the wine’s flavours. To reach this ideal temperature window, place the bottle in the fridge for about twenty minutes.

To enhance your overall Shiraz experience, serving the red wine with the right glassware is essential. To enjoy Syrah in the best way possible, use an oversized red wine glass. Doing so enables the wine to breathe in your glass and to use the oxygen to set the wine’s aromas free. Letting the wine sit for a few minutes balances the flavours and gives you pure pleasure.

When pairing a Shiraz with food, keep in mind that it is a full-bodied and bold red wine. Therefore, pairing with other spicy, peppery, or bold savoury dishes is favourable. If you aren’t following that guideline, you will overpower your dish with the rich wine. For that reason, barbecued meats, blue cheese, and exotic dishes pair very well with the wine. Spicy Thai and Indian dishes are solid pairing options because the Shiraz's flavour profile helps the spices of the dishes shine through.

Where to buy Shiraz?

If you enjoy drinking wines, Australian Shiraz, in particular, Bottle Stop is the perfect place for you to shop. As an Australian store, we offer a vast selection of Australian wines that include red wines, white wines, dessert wines, sparkling wines, rosé wines, and ciders. Simply search by region or by collection to find your favourite wine.

Bottle Stop is your local liquor store specialising in the best and most popular beer, wine, and spirits available to order online including domestic and international boutique brands and big-name producers everybody loves.

You can also arrange a convenient delivery of your order to your door by using our delivery service from the comfort of your couch. Our delivery services are spread across Australia, and we deliver Australia-wide. This includes Perth in Western Australia, the Southern shores around Adelaide and Melbourne, as well as the Eastern Coastline from Sydney via the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane.

For everyone in Sydney and Melbourne that needs an immediate emergency case of Australian Shiraz or any other beverage from our selection, we are open and online 24/7.

We further guarantee that our prices are the lowest you can find currently available on the internet and across all your favourite brands and producers. We even match our competitors’ lower prices. Simple as that. If you happen to find any item we stock at a lower price anywhere else, let us know so we can sell the product at the same price.

Besides guaranteeing the lowest prices on the web, purchasing from us has its advantages too. You don’t have to visit the local store to look for Shiraz bargains. Plus, you don’t have to go to the store just because of a price promotion, although your cellar is still stuffed with Shiraz. And the best thing is that you can further benefit from exclusive online-only promotions that no one can match.