What is the difference between a Shiraz and a Syrah?
A Shiraz is a Shiraz is a Shiraz …unless of course it’s a Syrah…and in that case it’s a Shiraz . Whether you’re talking about a Shiraz or a Syrah you’re speaking about the same grape. So why is the same variety referred to by two different names? To begin with, Shiraz is the name the Australians use exclusively for this grape. It’s believed that this grape’s origins come from the ancient city called “ Shiraz ” (now known as Iran ) but after it found its way into the Rhône Valley the French added their own flair by calling it “Syrah”. The Australian winemakers have always maintained that they have named this grape after the city in which it originally came from. The Shiraz has been around since the mid 1800’s and is in fact one of the most widely planted grapes in Australia . It’s just been more recently that we’ve seen some California wineries start using the name Shiraz instead of Syrah and that’s partly due to marketing and the migration of some Australian...