Australian Shiraz wines

Today we are talking about the medium to full -bodied dry red wine style made from Shiraz (also called Syrah) grapes here in Australia. Shiraz is the most popular red single-variety wine in Australia. Shiraz is also at the heart of some of Australia’s best red wine blends.

Shiraz is best known for single variety full- flavoured wines made in warm climates such as Barossa Valley, Eden Valley, McLaren Vale and the Hunter Valley.

These wines are deep ruby to purple in colour, dry, medium to full-bodied, with medium to high tannin and medium acidity. They can display fruit flavours of blackberry, blueberry, and black plum with savoury notes of pepper, tobacco, leather and liquorice, and chocolate.

This combination of intense rich dark fruit flavours and spices make Shiraz wines a great match for hearty, flavourful beef and lamb dishes served during winter in a number of ways. The ripe, mouth- filling fruit flavours of shiraz wines hold up with and complement the rich sauces served with beef and lamb. The spicy flavours in Shiraz wines pick up and enhance the herbs and spice flavours in the sauces. The acidity in the Shiraz “cuts through” the natural fat in the meat leaving the palate clean, and the proteins in the meat help round out firm tannins in the wine. So, these Shiraz wines complement the meat dishes, and the meat dishes complement the wine. Perfect!

Today’s wine is the 2015 Glaetzer “The Bishop” Barossa Valley Shiraz. It displays a dark purple/black colour and intense blackberry, dark plum and liquorice aromas tinged with vanilla, pepper and earth flavours. These flavours flow through to the palate in a rich, ripe mouth-filling combination with firm tannins and good length. This wine is a great example of warm climate Australian Shiraz and a perfect match for flavourful beef and lamb dishes. Enjoy!