Syrah (or Shiraz)
(Sah-ra or Shi-raz) Syrah and shiraz are two names for the same variety. Europe vintners only use the name syrah.
Food pairings: meat (steak, beef, wild game, stews, etc.)
Districts: syrah excels in California, in Australia, and in France’s Rhone Valley.
Typical taste in varietal wine: aromas and flavors of wild black fruit (such as blackcurrant), with overtones of black pepper spice and roasting meat. The abundance of fruit sensations is often complemented by warm alcohol and gripping tannins.
Toffee notes if present come not from the fruit but from the wine having rested in oak barrels.
The shiraz variety gives hearty, spicy reds. While shiraz is used to produce many average wines it can produce some of the world’s finest, deepest, and darkest reds with intense flavors and excellent longevity. You’ll discover Syrahs of value and elegance by reading my reviews of French wines.