Syrah vs Shiraz

Syrah and Shiraz are two wines made from the same grape. DNA analyzes shows that there is no differences between them.

The French call the grape and the wine Syrah. In Australia, USA, Canada, South Africa, and New Zealand they call it Shiraz.

It is well known in the wine world that there is a difference between Syrah and Shiraz both in syle and in character.

Both wines are bold and full bodied. These are the best known differences:

• Syrah is more complex
• Syrah is more elegant
• Syrah has more acidity
• Syrah has softer tannins
• Syrah has flavors of plum
• Syrah has flavors of spicy pepper
• Syrah is more smokey and earthy
• Shiraz is more crispy
• Shiraz is more fruity
• Shiraz is more jammy

It is expected that because of a cooler climate in France, Syrah tends to be more dark-fruit-like, compared to warm climat Shiraz which are more dark-berry-like and even jammy.

There is also a difference in the wine making process. The French production regulations are more stringent, which often leads to more elegant and complex wines.

In South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, USA, and Canada the name Shiraz is used almost exclusively. But a new trend is to use the name Syrah for wines that are made in the French style.