Shiraz (Also known as Syrah in France) is the most widely planted red grape in Australia.
There are a lot of different styles of Shiraz that are produced as well, ranging from jug wine (think: the ones with kangaroos on the labels) to wine that are internationally recognized and rated among the greatest wines in the world.
It’s easy for the casual wine drinker to find high quality Shiraz for around $10-25 per bottle.
How do you know if a Shiraz is high quality?
A way to cheat and ensure that you are getting a better quality Shiraz is to look for wines with the name of a wine growing region on the label (for example: Barossa, McLaren Vale, Hunter Valley).
If the wine just says ‘Australia’ on the bottle the grapes could be grown anywhere and generally speaking (there is always exceptions in wine) the wines might not be as high quality.
Torbreck 2011 Woodcutter’s Shiraz, made in the Barossa Valley, Australia is one of my fail safe red wines.
It is a full bodied red wine that smells like blueberry muffins, black cherry, lavender and pepper. This wine is very easy drinking, even for white wine drinkers, because it is so smooth and well balanced.
It is definitely a wine that gets your taste buds thinking because of the layers of complex flavors.
Why you should drink this wine: If you like full bodied, rich wines that give you lots of flavor and dimension without breaking the bank. You’ll find this wine at stores or online between $20-$25.
Wine and Food Pairing Suggestions: For a grown up meal, serve this with grilled lamb, lamb burgers or French-Style beef stew.
If you’re looking for dinner on a budget, sip Shiraz with macaroni and cheese or a grilled hamburger topped with cheddar and crispy bacon.
If you want to see how other people rate this wine: “Intensely scented of ripe cherry, kirsch and blackberry preserve with some floral notes and nuances of jasmine tea and spice box. Full bodied, concentrated and crisp in the mouth, it has a medium level of fine tannins to texture the flesh, finishing long. Drink it now to 2017.” -Wine Advocate
7 Comments
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc.
March 31, 2011 at 7:13 pmwould love to try it! I love shiraz
Cookin' Canuck
March 31, 2011 at 6:13 pmShiraz is one of my favorite varietals – great bang for your buck. I haven’t tried this one, but will definitely look for it the next time I’m at the wine store. Great information!
Dishes of Mrs. Fish
March 31, 2011 at 12:02 pmThanks for the informative guest post! I enjoy wine, but don’t know much about it…so I really enjoy your Wine on Wednesday features.
Roz
March 31, 2011 at 4:39 amHi Janel, thanks so much for the interesting guest post. Cheers!!!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
March 31, 2011 at 9:15 amI wish I knew more about wine too! Good on you for delving more into it Maris! 😀
Sharlene
March 30, 2011 at 10:10 pmWine is something my boyfriend and I are seriously trying to get into. We went to the NYC Wine Expo last month and had so much fun criticizing the wines and figuring out what we liked. Thanks so much for this wonderful guest post!
Daryl
March 30, 2011 at 8:56 pmInteresting post. The extent of my wine knowledge is pretty much limited so I love reading these posts.