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THIS MONTH'S CASE - MARCH 2024 - SYRAH VS SHIRAZ

At its core, Syrah and Shiraz wines are both made from the Syrah grape – but that is where the similarities end. Differences lie in where the grapes are grown, and on a basic level Syrah is from France and Shiraz is from Australia. France has always been considered the spiritual homeland of the Syrah grape and it was transported down under to Australia in the late 19th century by James Busby, a Scottish viticulturalist, where the variety has been the mainstay of Australian winemaking ever since.

THE OBVIOUS DIFFERENCE

Now, let’s address the most obvious difference between the two grapes – those names! Syrah is the original placeholder, and no one knows why the Aussies started calling it Shiraz; perhaps it was the accent or an accident? However it came about, the Aussies have certainly made the name synonymous with the Aussie style of winemaking: big and bold!

While Shiraz is grown all over Australia, plots of Syrah from France is mostly concentrated in the Rhône region where appellations such as Hermitage, Cornas and Côte Rotie pride themselves on their wines made from 100% Syrah. It might be tempting to think that all Syrah comes from France, and that all Shiraz is from Australia, but it’s not that simple. Syrah grows all over the world, from France to Australia, and everywhere in between. Some countries of note, now making waves with the variety are: New Zealand, South Africa and Chile (all showcased in this month’s selection). Wineries in these regions often use Syrah/Shiraz on their labels to denote style: the use of ‘Shiraz’ on the label would indicate that the wine inside is a ripe, rich, fruit-forward wine made in the Australian spirit, whereas a bottle labelled ‘Syrah’ would signpost to a more European style of wine that is more savoury. At this point, the names have gone from being an indication of origin to an indication of winemaking choice and style.

FULL BODIED

And as if that is already confusing enough, in recent years, some wineries in Australia have been labelling their Shiraz as Syrah, if the style they crafted is closer in style to that of the Rhône. And even some French wineries have been known to label their Syrah as Shiraz if the style produced is reminiscent of their Aussie friends. What a topsy turvy world it is!

One thing you can rely on is flavour when it comes to both iterations of the grape – there are some core varietals that will not change no matter what country or climate the grapes come from.