Wine for machos
Do you love powerhouse wines, or are you one yourself? Don’t look further! Shiraz/Syrah it is! That’s right, the wine that goes by different names is absolutely your thing. Why? And what can you expect when you see it listed under either name on a wine menu or in a shop? We’ll explain and immediately recommend a Shiraz you absolutely must taste once in your life.
To solve the mystery of this macho grape right away: the big difference in how you write and pronounce it depends on where it comes from. Wine made from this dark, purplish, almost black grape is called ‘Syrah’ in France and ‘Shiraz’ elsewhere. Regardless of the name, these are wines with plenty of structure and power to age well, but the styles are different.
France versus Australia
Syrah is a globetrotter. It began its life long ago in France, in the Rhône Valley, travelled from there across Europe and later to countries farther afield. Although it thrives in many places, the most brilliant Syrahs come from the northern Rhône and, almost always under the name Shiraz, from South Australia. Classic Syrah, such as you find aplenty in the French Rhône, is juicy, smoky, spicy (rosemary) and peppery, with fresh black fruit (blackberry, blackcurrant). But by now even more famous than wine from the Northern Rhône is Shiraz from Down Under. This style is thick and concentrated, with ripe, warm fruit such as plums, combined with intense flavours of cocoa and leather. A real powerhouse, in short.
A grape on a journey around the world
But that’s not all, because here comes the confusion: the pronunciation determines the style. Syrah is an immensely popular and well-travelled grape, so you can encounter it all over the world. But wine made from this grape isn’t automatically called Shiraz if it comes from, say, South Africa. If the South African winemaker is aiming for a Rhône style, they put Syrah on the label—and conversely, you may also come across Shiraz from southern France.
Delicious with
Either way, this wine is delicious, especially for carnivores, because Shiraz/Syrah is incredibly good with sausages and BBQ/grilled meat, lamb with thyme, game and hearty stews. Don’t eat meat? Pair it with grilled vegetables, ratatouille, vegetable lasagne and something earthy such as mushroom risotto. Avoid subtle dishes, because they’ll be completely overpowered by the powerful Syrah/Shiraz.
World-famous
If there’s one Shiraz you need to know, it’s ‘Grange’ from Australian winery Penfolds. This iconic wine was named Wine of the Year in 1995 and was once awarded the perfect score of 100 points by the notorious wine critic Robert Parker. And if that weren’t special enough, The Wall Street Journal once wrote about Grange: ”Wine lovers remember their first Grange the way they remember their first kiss!” Well, surely that makes you want to taste it immediately? The only drawback of such fame is scarcity—and the price that comes with it. A bottle of Grange will easily set you back around six hundred euros, and older vintages cost much more. But if you ever get the chance, for example at a wine bar where you can taste it by the sip or by the quarter-glass, do it immediately!
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