Are there any differences between a Syrah and a Shiraz?!
Are there any differences between a Syrah and a Shiraz?
My wife and I are at an impasse; I thought they were two different names for the same wine, but who knows?
Answers:
The grapes are the same, but the difference is in the style of the wine.
If the wine is labelled a Syrah, it probably follows more of an "old world" model, based on the wines from the northern Rhone Valley of France which are 100% Syrah. The aromas and flavours of a Syrah may feature more subtle fruit than a Shiraz, and there is usually a prominent black pepper aroma. I often find herb and game notes as well as licorice in Rhone Syrahs.
Shiraz is made from the same grape, genetically. However, the grapes are riper, and the wine maker usually uses more extraction resulting in a more full bodied, jammy, fruit forward and high alcohol wine. This is the Aussie style. It's rare to find the trademark pepper notes of Syrah in a Shiraz. Also, the prevailing tendency is to use new American oak for aging, which will lend mocha and vanilla notes to the wine's flavour profile.
Hope that helps!
Cheers!
It is the same thing - the Aussies call it a Shiraz.
Yeah, the first answer is correct. The grapes are the same, but only true "shiraz" comes from Australia. The others have to be named "Syrah."
Check it out for yourself the next time you are at the store. You will never find a Shiraz that is not from Australia.
Shiraz as to be from Australia, but you can find some Australian wine called Syrah too...
Syrah from the nothern part of the Rhone valley do not have to be 100% syrah ( by law )... The only appelation to be 100% syrah is Cornas. All the other can add a % of white grapes: viognier (Cote-Rotie up to 20%), or rousanne-marsanne (the rest up to 15%)
In an effort to break your stalemate I'd like to second what Amuse Bouche has said.
The birthplace of the grape/style can be traced back to Shiraz in Persia, the variety being brought to europe after the crusades. With softened french pronounciation, the name shira(z) has evolved over time into 'syrah'. Although the grape is the same the terroir and climate will affect the sugar levels and flavour. Hence; France, New Zealand and parts of America have associated with Syrah and Australia, South Africa and, I can only assume, Iran use the name Shiraz.
Shiraz and Syrah are two different names for the same grape variety.
Winemakers can choose which name to use on the label. You will find French wines labelled as Shiraz now and you will find new world wines labelled as Syrah.
Often the name used is meant to signify the style of the wine - i.e. those using Shiraz suggest their wine is in the big Australian style, and those using Syrah imply theirs is in the French Rhone style, but sometimes it is just marketing. Some wineries in southern France who changed the name on their labels from Syrah to Shiraz found they had much greater success in export markets as more customers were familiar with the Shiraz name.
The person who said that you'd never see a French wine labelled Shiraz has obviously never come across the big selling Fat Bast*rd.
And, although there is a Persian city with the name Shiraz there is no evidence the vines came from there -- in fact there is DNA evidence to the opposite -- see http://www.winelabels.org/artsyr.htm...
they are the same grape. Shiraz is the name used in Australia. Though the wine can take on different characteristics and flavors depending on where it is from. A syrah from france may not taste very similar to a shiraz from australia.