If you could encapsulate Australian winemaking in a single grape, there’d be little argument as to which it would be. A dry red with incredible presence, Australians treat shiraz as less a wine varietal than they do a religion. Our world-beating exports have compelled old- world vintners to take Australian wines seriously, and this success has fuelled a deep love for the grape within the nation’s subconscious. But while shiraz might nowadays appear as Australian as Vegemite or Qantas, it wasn’t always so. The shiraz story begins with a grape that is entirely the same, but somehow different. 

When browsing international wines you’ll notice that the shiraz variety is found almost exclusively on Australian bottles. But as a country in which grapes aren’t an indigenous species, why is shiraz only found in Australia? The truth is that any bottle labelled ''syrah'' is produced from a genetically identical grape. Almost every other wine-producing nation on earth calls the variety syrah, so why have we chosen to be different? The historical waters are somewhat muddied on this question. The earliest importation of syrah vines into Australia described them as ''Scyras'', with some historians putting the eventual label of ''shiraz'' down to the broad Australian accent contorting this original name. It’s understandable in a part of the world where Sharon quickly becomes Shaz. There are however English documents from around the same time that name the grape as shiraz; presumably an anglicisation of the original French term. Whatever the origin, by the mid-nineteenth century the grape was universally referred to as either shiraz or Hermitage, and has been ever since. 

New world, new wine

The Barossa Valley is home to the oldest shiraz vines in the world, with many of Busby’s original plants still bearing fruit. Entrenched, gnarled and unirrigated, these vines offer low yield but incredibly intense flavour. The most prominent Australian shiraz producers are of this ilk, and include Penfolds, creator of the almost mythical Penfolds Grange, Henschke and St Hallett.

But more recently both the domestic and international markets have developed a taste for lighter Australian shiraz, grown in conditions that more closely resemble those found in the northern Rhône. The cooler climes of the Yarra Valley and Beechworth regions produce a mid-weighted, fresher and more playful flavour, and offer new drinkers a far less challenging introduction.

A question of taste

As alluded to above, the notes of shiraz will change subject to where and how it has been grown and produced. The archetypal Australian shiraz – those of the South Australian regions of the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale – bring a weight and intensity that is almost unmatched by any other wine in the world. Dark fruit, chocolate and spices abound; deep flavours that challenge the palate, creating an experience that is as exciting as it is demanding.

The cooler conditions offered to the Victorian shirazes of the Yarra Valley, Heathcote and Beechworth result in a wine with a slightly lower intensity of flavour than those of SA, but with no less interest. Dark fruits once again take centre stage, counterbalanced by a light pepper bite.

For their part the wines of the northern Rhône, including such famous names as Guigal, Chapoutier and Domaine du Coulet, remain as popular as ever. A seductive combination of black olive tang, peppered spices and the bitter-sweetness of berry compote are on offer, and flavours vary markedly from hillside to hillside.

Important information:

*$100 Qantas Hotels and Holidays Voucher: Offer ends 12 October 2023 11:59pm (AEDT) unless sold out prior. and excludes beer and spirits. Qantas may withdraw or extend these offers at any time. A$100 Qantas Hotels and Holidays voucher will be eligible to members who spend $300 or more at Qantas Wine between 5 - 12 October 2023. The voucher is subject to a $200 minimum spend and is redeemable on bookings made at qantas.com/hotels or qantas.com/holidays. Voucher expires on 13 February 2024. Limit of one voucher per member. Voucher is single use only and cannot be combined or used in conjunction with any other offer. Any unused balance of the voucher will be forfeited and is not redeemable for cash. Eligible participants will be sent their A$100 Qantas Hotels and Holidays voucher on 15 November 2023.

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~Qantas Recommends: Offer ends 5 October 2023 11:59pm (AEDT) or until stocks last.

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