Shiraz

A Shiraz by Any Other Name Would…Not Be a Shiraz

With apologies to William Shakespeare or to whomever the master playwright acted as a proxy for, that is if you, the reader, believes in that divisive literary debate and controversy regarding the true identity of the author of Romeo and Juliet and other Elizabethan plays. But it is probably best to paraphrase his Rose by any other name line from the story of star-crossed lovers than the suicidal self-indulgent blather of Hamlet's being or not being when discussing Shiraz. Although the typical a Shiraz grape does not smell or taste as sweet as a rose, its name and origin have been the source of tall tales, speculation, and legends for centuries. Perhaps the wine's moniker came from Shiraz, Persia, perhaps not. Perhaps Alexander the Great and his army went on a drinking binge downing countless amphoras of this type of wine,and then proceeded to rape, pillage, loot, and burn Persepolis, and perhaps not. And perhaps Shiraz, otherwise known as Syrah in the majority of the wine world, didn't originate in the Northern Rhône of France as two scientists have genetically proven, and perhaps it did. It's tough to argue with DNA testing so suffice to say that Shiraz is just another name for Syrah. And for whatever reason, this name substitutes for Syrah in some parts of the world, most notably Australia, but also in South Africa and occasionally in other New World Wine countries.

Australia's Iconic Wine

Shiraz has been cultivated in Australia since the 1830's when it was brought over by European settlers, in all probability by James Busby in 1832. Busby was a viticulturist responsible for bringing hundreds of vines from France and Spain to the country. Shiraz flourished in Australia, becoming as ubiquitous as a kangaroo and with almost as much kick. The country down under is also known for other grape varietals, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Semillon, but it is this particular grape that put them on the wine map and made them a competitive force in the world. Paradoxically, the cravings for Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon profits in the 1970's compelled many sheep-like Australian vintners to follow the flock and yank out their Shiraz vines to plant more trendy Chard and Cab. Fortunately, a sufficient number of Australian sheep, pardon me, vintners, are an independent and stubborn breed and they held onto their vines and kept it alive. Originally, the wine was relegated to the Aussie hoi polloi table wine category or used in fortified Port-style wines. But in recent decades, with investment and the application of modern scientific technology in the field and the winery, Shiraz has taken on elevated airs of sophistication and depth of character. Today, without Australian Shiraz, the name would recede and its legacy would be relegated to the bins of history.

The Aussie Style

Australian Shiraz wines bounce back and forth between two styles with dimensions ranging from complex to simple. One is opulent, muscular, and fruit-rich with soft-to-moderate tannins that is full of flavor, spiciness, and builds character as the wines age. The other is a lighter, fruitier style that is of the ready-to-drink-now variety of wine. These easy-quaffers resonate with blackberry and raspberry. It is uniquely Australian and exemplifies the down-under terroir. Most will exhibit a peppery spirit, which by coincidence is also an Australian national character trait.

The common practice using new American oak casks also adds to the Australian style, imparting a dash of vanilla, creaminess, herbal notes, and tannins during the aging process. Recently, many winemakers are converting to French oak, which has gentler and more elegant influence.

The terroir and climate also plays a role in creating its uniqueness. Cooler climates produce fruit-driven wines with well-defined black pepper, while warmer regions turn out intense, and concentrated wines with thick, berry-plum syrupy flavors and aromas laden with spice and pepper.

Bins and Combinations

Now, there are a couple of quirks about the Australians and their wine. One, they like to use Bins as a qualifying name or reference on their labels. As an example, Lindemans Bin 50, identifies their easy-drinking Shiraz from multiple regions. This common practice has been around at least since the 1930's, but there isn't a clear-cut reason why they do this. Either the Bin referenced a particular aging and blending style, or it indicated a physical location where a specific wine was stored. Another Australian approach is to blend varietals and labeling their wines based on the combination. Shiraz is regularly blended in various combinations with Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Grenache, and even Viognier. But the Australians make it simple for customers to figure out what they're drinking—they put the blend's names on the label. If a wine label says Cabernet Sauvignon-Mourvèdre-Grenache-Shiraz, you know pretty much what's inside. Australians also like to produce red sparklers and port-style wines from Shiraz and the results while offbeat, are appealing and uninhibited.

Australian Wine Regions

The principal Australia wine regions congregate in the southeast part of the country—South Australia, New South Wales, and Victoria. For Shiraz, the top regions producing the seductive and full-blooded wine are in the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, and Coonawarra in South Australia with Hunter Valley in New South Wales also asserting itself. Among this group, the Barossa Valley and Coonawarra vie for top rank but with distinctive characters. The Barossa Valley is renown for it's big fruit, herbaceous, and peppery Shiraz, whereas Coonawarra's Shiraz wines are intense with spicy flavors. Wines from both regions have sturdy tannins and complex structure that age well.

South Africa Shiraz

South Africa has over three hundred years of wine history with the first wines being produced by Dutch settlers. Originally using the local vines to make vine, finding the climate and terrain conducive to making wine, brought in European vines and began planting. Shiraz is one of the prominent varietals used both in single varietal wines as well as blended in Rhône-style wines. These are big-fruit wines with chocolate, smoke, and spice. The wine regions are mostly in the Western Cape near Capetown. Prior to the abolishment of the inhuman and illogical apartheid policy within the country, South African wine was relatively unknown in the United States or other countries with a trade sanction policy to South African. But since the early 1990's, more South African wine is appearing on grocery shelves and in restaurants. Their Shiraz provides an interesting alternative for fans of this varietal.

Emerging Regions

Other wine regions in the world are catching on to this wine. The grape is a bit more temperamental than some other Rhône wine grapes. Extremely hot climates turn this varietal into an undisciplined and unruly grape that is difficult to manage. But in the right place and with the right care, the results can be irresistible. Syrah is making significant inroads into South America's Argentina and Chile. New Zealand is experimenting with it and, although not threatening their big neighbor to the west, the Kiwis are making progress with their Shiraz.

Old and New World Tasting

For fun, and to get taste of the similarities and differences of style and character of this type of wine, put together an Old and New World tasting with bottles from France, California, South Africa, and Australia. Ideally, setting up some Northern Rhônes (Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage), Syrahs from Sonoma County and the Central Coast, and some Australian Shiraz from the Barossa Valley or the Coonawarra. Something from Penfolds, Peter Lehmann, or Hardys would work splendidly.

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• Marquis Philips Shiraz 2003 Reviews
• Fess Parker Winery Shiraz Frontier Red, Lot No. 61 2005 Reviews
• Bonny Doon Vineyard Shiraz Central Coast 2004 Reviews
• Woop Woop Winery Shiraz The Black Chook 2005 Review
• Elderton Shiraz Barossa 2003 Reviews