Syrah vs Shiraz: Same Grape, Two Styles

Syrah and Shiraz are the same grape. The difference is the name on the label, and the name usually hints at the style. “Syrah” points to the Rhône Valley in France, where the grape makes structured, peppery, floral reds. “Shiraz” points to Australia, where it tends to make riper, fuller, fruit-forward wines. The rule isn’t fixed, so the region on the label matters as much as the name. Here is how the two styles compare, how to choose between them, what to eat with each and how Petite Sirah fits in.

Syrah vs Shiraz at a glance

	Syrah	Shiraz
Where the name is used	France and many other countries	Mainly Australia
Classic regions	Northern Rhône: Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage	Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, Eden Valley, Heathcote, Hunter Valley
Typical style	Medium to full-bodied, firm tannin, more restrained	Full-bodied, softer tannin, riper fruit
Flavors	Violet, pepper, red and black fruit, licorice; leather and truffle with age	Blackberry, plum, pepper and spice; blueberry and chocolate in McLaren Vale
Best with	Roast and grilled meats, game	Barbecue, grilled lamb and beef, stews

The style descriptions come from Inter Rhône (the Rhône Valley wine body), Wine Australia and Wikipedia’s summary of the grape. The food row is our own suggestion, based on Wine Australia’s pairing list below.

One grape, two names

Syrah is a French grape. Inter Rhône says its origins were long the subject of speculation, with stories tracing it to Persia, Syria or Syracuse, but recent analyses suggest it took root in Savoie and the Ardèche, in south-eastern France. DNA work led by the University of California, Davis, identified its parents as two obscure grapes from south-eastern France, Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche, according to Wikipedia’s account of the research.

The grape now covers more than 140,000 hectares worldwide, Inter Rhône says. Wine Australia calls Shiraz Australia’s most planted winegrape, with about 39,900 hectares in its 2019–2020 figures, and its 2015 survey ranked Australia second in the world for the grape, behind France.

As for the name, Wikipedia notes that “Shiraz” is used mainly in Australia and was popularized by Australian wines, but there is no evidence that it actually originated there. Early Australian documents used “Scyras”, and “Hermitage” was a common Australian name for the wine until the late 1980s.

Syrah in the Northern Rhône

Inter Rhône calls Syrah one of the most emblematic red grapes of the northern Côtes du Rhône, where it prefers cooler hillsides. Its main appellations (protected place names) there are:

• Cornas, where the reds are single-varietal Syrah.
• Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Côte-Rôtie, where the rules allow single-varietal Syrah or blends. In Côte-Rôtie, blending a little white Viognier with Syrah has long been common, according to Wikipedia.

Syrah also grows in the southern Rhône, in appellations such as Gigondas.

Inter Rhône describes young Syrah as floral and peppery, with violet, red and black fruit such as raspberry and blueberry, and spicy notes of pepper and licorice. With age, the violet evolves toward musk, truffle and leather. The wines are “tannic but not very acidic”, and their tannin (the drying grip from grape skins) makes them suitable for aging.

Shiraz in Australia

Shiraz has deep roots in Australia. Wine Australia says the Langmeil Freedom vineyard in the Barossa is believed to have been planted in 1843 and is still producing. The grape grows in most Australian regions, from warm to moderate and cool climates, and Wine Australia’s regional notes show how much it varies:

Region	Typical style, according to Wine Australia
Barossa Valley	Full-bodied and richly textured; blackberry, pepper and spice
McLaren Vale	Typically full-bodied; blueberry and chocolate notes
Clare Valley	Full-bodied; blackberry, black cherry, plum and licorice
Eden Valley	Medium to full-bodied; blackberry, sage and pepper
Heathcote	Medium to full-bodied; dark fruit, spice and an iron-like minerality
Hunter Valley	Typically medium-bodied; red fruit and savory notes

Wikipedia sums up the climate effect: in moderate climates like the northern Rhône, the grape gives medium to full-bodied wines with firm tannins and blackberry, mint and black pepper, while in hot climates such as parts of Australia it is more consistently full-bodied, with softer tannins and jammier fruit. Some Australian producers also add a few percent of Viognier to their Shiraz.

How to choose between Syrah and Shiraz

The name is a useful first hint, but Wikipedia warns that the Syrah-means-elegant, Shiraz-means-ripe rule of thumb “is unevenly applied”. In the US, either name can appear on the label. Our suggestions:

• For a peppery, savory red, we’d start with a Northern Rhône Syrah, or an Eden Valley Shiraz, which Wine Australia describes with sage and pepper notes.
• For a big, ripe, fruit-forward red, we’d reach for a Barossa or McLaren Vale Shiraz.
• Check the alcohol. Wikipedia links the Shiraz style with riper fruit and higher alcohol, and our guide to high alcohol wine lists typical ranges.
• Look past the grape if you love one style. In our view, fans of ripe Shiraz often enjoy Malbec wine too, and our best wine under $20 picks include more value reds.

Food pairing

Wine Australia’s suggestions for Shiraz are charcuterie, grilled and roasted meats (lamb, beef and game), stews and casseroles, and firm, aged cheeses. That list works for Syrah too, since it’s the same grape.

In our view, the style decides the details. A peppery Northern Rhône Syrah is lovely with roast lamb, duck or anything with black pepper and herbs, while a rich Barossa Shiraz can stand up to smoky barbecue and charred steak. Our guide to what wine goes with steak covers the cuts, and our wine and food pairing guide explains why tannin and fat work together.

Is Petite Sirah the same as Syrah?

No, although the two are related. According to the University of California, Davis, guide Wine Grape Varieties in California:

• Most California Petite Sirah is the grape Durif, first propagated by a French nurseryman named Durif in the Rhône Valley in the 1880s.
• DNA research at UC Davis shows Durif is a cross between Syrah and Peloursin, so Syrah is one of its parents.
• Charles McIver brought the vine to California in 1884, and growers were soon calling it Petite Syrah. Older California “Petite Sirah” vineyards are often mixed plantings that are mostly Durif but can include Syrah, Peloursin, Zinfandel and others.
• Durif makes a full-bodied red with deep color and long aging potential, and it is often blended to add color and body to lighter reds.

To add to the confusion, Wikipedia notes that “Petite Syrah” is sometimes used in the northern Rhône for a small-berried form of Syrah itself. In California, though, a wine labeled Petite Sirah is mostly Durif.

Good-value bottles to try

We don’t list specific Syrah or Shiraz bottles on this page yet. Every pick on Wine Blue Book needs a published critic score for a named vintage and a US price checked at two or more retailers, as set out in how we rate wine, and we haven’t completed that check for a Syrah or Shiraz.

What to look for meanwhile: read the region as well as the name, because it says more about the style than the choice between “Syrah” and “Shiraz”. Under our thresholds, a bottle with 88 or 89 points at $15 or less, or 90 to 92 points at $20 or less, would be a Great Value. In our view, comparing a Rhône Syrah and an Australian Shiraz at the same price is the quickest way to learn which style you prefer.

For bottles that already passed our value test, see our best wine under $20 and best cheap wine lists.

How to serve it

Inter Rhône recommends decanting older vintages of Syrah to bring out their aromas. We’d serve both Syrah and Shiraz a little below room temperature, and give a young, full-bodied Shiraz some time in the glass or a decanter before the first pour. For more red grapes explained, browse our Grape Varieties guides.