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Should you choose Syrah or Shiraz? If you like rich, dark reds, then yes. But how do you choose which? Particularly when it turns out they are actually the same grape. Pull up a glass - and read on!
Is there a difference between Syrah and Shiraz?
Yes. And no. Let me explain.
“You say tom-arto, I say tom-ayto.” So sang Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong in their famous duet, Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off. Well, we could add another line: “you say Shiraz, I say Syrah”.
Because Syrah and Shiraz are actually the same grape. They are simply different names for one of the ‘inkiest’ of the great noble black grape varieties. A variety that is famed for producing deliciously dark, full-bodied and age-worthy wines. The sole difference is where the grape variety is grown.
Where does Syrah/Shiraz come from?
Legend has it that Shiraz is named after the ancient Persian city of Shiraz.
Shiraz, in what is now southern Iran, was famous for many things. It was home to Hafez, the Shakespeare of the Middle East. But it was also renowned for the incredibly rich ripeness of its red wines. Indeed, in the 9th Century, the region was known for producing the finest wine in the world.
However, the grape’s actual roots are rather more humble.
DNA profiling studies published in the late 1990s have shown that Shiraz/Syrah is a cross between two minor Rhône varieties: Dureza (a black-skinned grape) and Mondeuse Blanche (a white grape). This proves the varieties Rhône origins.
The grape can also be known as Marsanne Noire, Blaue Sirah, Sira, Sirac, Sirah and Syra.
What does Syrah/Shiraz taste like?
Syrah/Shiraz is up there with the big red wines of the world. It is dark and powerful.
Whether you see Shiraz or Syrah on the label of a red wine bottle, you can expect rich, brooding flavours of blackberry, black plums and blackcurrant, with spicy, coffee, leathery and liquorice notes in hotter regions and gamey, truffle notes developing with a bit of age.
The big difference between Syrah and Shiraz is all about where it is grown.
What are the best regions for Syrah red wine?
Syrah is the great red grape of France’s Rhone valley. But even here it all about location. In fact, there is a real north/south divide.
Syrah from the northern Rhone
Some of the world's most famous Syrah wines are the peppery, earthy reds of the northern Rhône. Apparently, one of the most searched-for Syrah on Wine-Searcher is Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage.
Syrah from this region is likely to taste very different from any other. It’s the birthplace of the grape and some would say the best styles are found in the Northern Rhone. These red wines will generally have less fruit and more meaty, olive, floral and spice notes. The cooler climate brings out wonderful memorable aromas which can be smoky, floral, peppery and minty.
They will be labelled by the sub-regions within the northern Rhone. These sub-regions are Hermitage (the best of the best), Crozes Hermitage (bright acidity), Côte Rôtie (bold), and St. Joseph (great value). These wines can also be capable of aging and improving
Syrah from the southern Rhone
The warmer it gets, the more Syrah’s flavour changes from raspberry to blackberry, becoming chocolatey and, with age, tarry and gamey. Most of the southern Rhône wine region is too hot to make top quality Syrah which is why most Côtes du Rhône reds are based on Grenache, with Syrah and Mourvèdre in support. Chateauneuf-du-Pape is the most famous southern Rhone appellation, but not every Chateauneuf-du-Pape has Syrah in it.
Other French Syrah regions
Syrah often appears on labels of IGP Pays d'Oc wines. It is the fastest growing grape in Franc’s Languedoc region, where it has been introduced as an improving variety.
You will also find it playing a starring role in appellations such as Minervois, Minervois La Livinière and La Clape. And, next to the southern Rhône in Provence, Syrah often makes an appearance as a component in red and rosé wines (check out Laithwaites sparkling pink, Petillant de Syrah).
Where else in Europe will you find Syrah?
You will also find Syrah wines throughout central Italy, Alentejo of Portugal and Castilla-la Mancha and Aragon of Spain.
Where are the best regions for Shiraz red wine?
Compared to French Syrah, Shiraz wines are often richer and bolder. It may be the same grape but warmer climates bring out brighter fruit flavours – most frequently blueberries, blackcurrants and black cherries.
You’ll find Shiraz grown in Chile and Argentina. Also in South Africa and America. And in New Zealand, although the cooler climate here means the grape sometimes reverts to being called Syrah.
However, the most searched-for Shiraz wine on Wine-Searcher is Penfolds Bin 95 Grange. And it is in Australia that Shiraz really shines.
Shiraz in Australia
Shiraz is one of Australia’s original – and most important - red grapes.
It was brought to the region (from France) by Scottish botanist James Busby in 1832. The earliest Australian documents refer to it as "Scyras" but by the end of the 19th century the name Shiraz had taken hold. Now Aussie Shiraz is as synonymous as Malbec and Argentina. The grape is grown in nearly every sub-region in Australia.
Clare Valley Shiraz
Clare Valley Shiraz are full bodied and richly textured, with blackberry, black cherry, plum and liquorice.
Eden Valley Shiraz
Eden Valley Shiraz are medium to full-bodied, with blackberry, aromatic herbs, pepper notes.
Hunter Valley Shiraz
Hunter Valley Shiraz are medium bodied, with more red-fruit characters and savoury notes.
McLaren Vale Shiraz
McLaren Vale Shiraz is full and rich, with lush blueberry and chocolate.
Barossa Valley Shiraz
Barossa Valley Shiraz are full-bodied, with a rich texture and jammy blackcurrant, pepper and spice.
Barossa is where Shiraz shines. Here you will still find a number of those pioneering 19th century wine properties remain. As a result, the Barossa boasts many parcels of vines of well over 100 years of age which are still farmed today. These low-yielding, gnarled veterans supply small, intense berries for some of Australia and the world's greatest red wines. No other region, including Hermitage and Côte Rôtie, has such a concentration of very old vines.
Syrah in the USA
Outside of Australia, Syrah also has a cult following in the USA.
In California, Washington and Oregon, a dedicated band of American winemakers has been devotedly working with Syrah since the 1970s. Known as the Rhône Rangers, these men and women have proven that the variety can produce complex, rich wines in all three of the above states.
About the author
Richard Bull
Although good at running up hills, Richard failed to make the military cuvée and turned instead to the drinks trade. After stints at Hennessy, Oddbins and Grants of St James, he arrived at Laithwaites. Here, he spent 15 years writing about real wine and the people who make it. As he wrote from the desk to your door, he was lucky enough to visit vineyards in France, Italy, Spain and Kent - as well as being flown over South Africa's Breede River by a winemaking army veteran who'd just had a heart attack. Qualified to WSET Level 3, he loves the off-the-beaten track reds of the Languedoc, but is currently obsessed with all drops Greek - particularly their super crisp whites.
