Few grapes have travelled the world as successfully as Shiraz. Born in France, made famous in Australia and now thriving everywhere from South Africa to California, it’s one of the most widely planted red varieties on the planet – and one of the most versatile, capable of everything from savoury, peppery elegance to rich, velvety power.
Why the fourth Thursday of July?
A Sydney-based wine marketing agency called Mastermind Consulting established International Shiraz Day in 2020. The agency chose the fourth Thursday in July, as it falls in the depths of the Southern Hemisphere winter, when a glass of warming Shiraz feels just right. However, it also neatly coincides with barbecue season north of the equator.
If you’re posting about the event, the official hashtag is #shirazwineday, not #shirazday. The latter belongs to a different celebration entirely, held each May in honour of the Iranian city of Shiraz.
French roots, Persian myths
That Iranian connection is no coincidence. According to popular folklore, the grape originated in the ancient Persian city, before Crusaders or pilgrims brought it to France. It was a nice story, but DNA testing in 1998 finally settled the matter.
Shiraz is in fact a native French grape, the natural offspring of two obscure varieties from south-eastern France, Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche.
The grape’s spiritual home is the northern Rhône, where it is known as Syrah. It produces the legendary wines of Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie – savoury, perfumed reds layered with black pepper, smoked meat, olive and violet alongside the dark fruit. There’s a separate celebration, International Syrah Day, held annually on February 16, to honour the grape.
Two names, one global grape
Shiraz and Syrah are genetically identical, but the two names have come to signal two broad styles. ‘Syrah’ usually points to the restrained, savoury European model, while ‘Shiraz’ – the name adopted when the grape reached Australia in the 1830s – suggests a bolder, riper, fruit-forward wine.
Today the grape flourishes on almost every wine-producing continent. Australia remains its most famous New World home, from the old-vine blockbusters of the Barossa Valley to elegant cool-climate examples from the Adelaide Hills and Yarra Valley.
South Africa’s Stellenbosch and Swartland regions produce smoky, spice-laden wines that split the difference between the two styles, while California’s Paso Robles and Washington State lean plush and powerful. Chile and Argentina offer superb value, and even Spain, Italy and New Zealand have carved out their own takes on the grape. Wherever it grows, Shiraz keeps its signature: dark fruit, warmth and that unmistakable crack of black pepper.
International Shiraz Day is the perfect excuse to open something special. Fire up the barbecue, pour a generous glass and join the celebration.
What does it taste like?
- Body: Medium to full-bodied
- Typical flavours: Blackberry, plum, blueberry and black cherry, with notes of black pepper, liquorice, smoke, chocolate and violet
- Top regions: Northern Rhône (France), Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Hunter Valley and Adelaide Hills (Australia), Stellenbosch and Swartland (South Africa), Paso Robles (California), Colchagua Valley (Chile)
- Similar to: If you enjoy Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel, try Shiraz
- Food pairings: Grilled and barbecued meats, lamb, game, sausages, hard cheeses, peppery and spicy dishes
- When to drink: Most Shiraz drinks well within five years of vintage, but premium examples from Barossa, Hunter Valley and the northern Rhône can age beautifully for 20 years or more
15 award-winning Syrah wines to explore from DWWA 2026
Australia
Ferngrove, The Orchid Collection Dragon Shiraz, Frankland River, Western Australia 2023
Best in Show, 97 points
There’s a lot more to Western Australia than just Margaret River, as all those who love Australian wines will know – but, until this year, no other region in this vast state has managed to win its way through to Best In Show. Happily, this outstanding Shiraz from Frankland River, one of the star zones in the vast expanse of Great Southern, has come bustling through this year to stake its claim. Our judges applauded the refinement, delicacy, purity and limpidity of this poised Shiraz midweight: floral perfumes suffusing red-fruit charm dominate the aromas, while the palate is ‘classy, effortless and long’, and sees the fruits modulating towards something just a little bit more savoury, though the full development of these characters will need to wait a year or two longer. It has texture, and acidity is well-judged, balanced and unobtrusive. Poise and refreshment await you. Alcohol 14.5%
Château Tanunda, 100 Year Old Vines Shiraz, Barossa, South Australia 2022
Platinum, 97 points
Generous blueberry, black pepper and milk chocolate aromas unravel onto the salivating palate, seamlessly integrating satin tannins and a warming shortbread backbone. Rippling violet florals gather steam ahead of the long, rousing finish. Definitive terroir portrayal. Alc 14.5%
E.J. McDougall, Old Vine Shiraz, McLaren Vale, South Australia 2024
Platinum, 97 points
A masterstroke of the Rhone-style in an Australian context, emanating dark floral, purple fruit and gun powder aromas. Intoxicating and intense with elegant structure and a quivering pink peppercorn nerve that captures the mood perfectly. Alc 14.5%
Hare’s Chase, Vigilance Marananga Shiraz, Barossa Valley, South Australia 2022
Platinum, 97 points
Lashings of plum, blackcurrant and mulberry charm decadently complemented by a splash of soy sauce. Big and bold, furnished with velvety tannins, enriching fleshy texture and commanding pencil-shaving length. Plenty more to give in the future. Alc 14.5%
Katnook Estate, Prodigy Shiraz, Coonawarra, South Australia 2024
Platinum, 97 points
Bountiful blackberry, dark cherry, plum and damson fruit on a backdrop of eucalyptus and floral violet lift. Wonderfully silky smooth with a tangy acid momentum and fine, shapely tannins. Deliciously long, projecting incredible regional character. Alc 14.4%
Monteperle, Vineyard Selection Shiraz, Barossa Valley, South Australia 2024
Platinum, 97 points
An all-consuming blackberry, liquorice and tar fragrance sizzles implacably around the nose, conjoining with spine-tingling peppery spice on the palate. A contemporary style, with abounding plush juiciness enveloping the core and varnishing the powerful finish. Alc 15.1%
Argentina
Bodega Puna, 2600 Syrah, Cachi, Salta 2025
Gold, 95 points
Pungent blue fruit, violet and black pepper perfume shimmers across the nose, diving into the concentrated palate with its tense acidity and full, distinguished tannins. Alc 13.1%
France
Maison Delas Frères, Seigneur De Maugiron, Côte Rotie, Rhône 2023
Best in Show, 97 points
Eleven Best In Show appearances for the Rhône Valley but never a Côte Rôtie… until this year. It’s a wine from the 2023 vintage – a very good one in Côte Rôtie, since the deluge of rain that affected other parts of the Northern Rhône in mid-September spared this northernmost appellation almost entirely, and the slow start to the summer accelerated gratifyingly during an August when the terraces genuinely roasted. We don’t, as we taste, know the precise vineyard sources for this wine, but in style it seems more Brune than Blonde: dark in colour, with splendidly smoky, tapenade-like aromas (some found undergrowth and stone) rather than pronounced floral lift, while the palate is poised, lively and vivacious but underscored by ample backbone and tension, too. Look out for the salty finish behind the fruits and the attractively forthright tannins. It’s both classic and generous and would make a good prospect for ageing – though there’s nothing overly forbidding for those who would like to start sooner. Alc 13%
Domaine De Castelnau, L’Etendoir des Fées, IGP Pays d’Oc, Languedoc-Roussillon 2023
Platinum, 97 points
Sensational tapenade, black pepper and herb aromas lead the charge, colliding diligently with the blackberry juice intensity that flows liberally through to the finish line. Such amazing typicity, the sort of wine to dive right into. Alc 14.5%
Spain
Bodegas Piqueras, Nature Syrah, Almansa 2025
Gold, 95 points
Inspiring, fresh and approachable, combining black cherry and lifted floral aromas that flow continuously across the palate. Textural and fluid with polished tannins and appealing length. Alc 14.5%
United States
Hoquetus Wine Co., Francisca’s Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, Washington State 2023
Gold, 95 points
Earthy and robust with abundant tapenade, black pepper and dark berry aromas. Chewy oak tannins and meaty texture with a dusting of tobacco to end. Alc 14%
South Africa
Boschendal, Grande Syrah, Stellenbosch 2022
Gold, 95 points
A scrumptious array of beef rib-eye, mocha, dark cherry and prune aromas that swirl around the leathery texture and sleek tannins. Resplendent in charm and poise. Alc 14%
Kasteelberg, Carbonic Syrah, Swartland 2025
Gold, 95 points
Glorious blackberry, violet and rose petal aromatics tempered by a savouring black olive dimension. Crisp and bright with a glossy textural veneer. Evocative high altitude style. Alc 13.9%
New Zealand
Greystone Wines, Vineyard Ferment Syrah, Canterbury 2023
Platinum, 97 points
Wonderfully executed Syrah, spot on for its sense of place and character; black cherry, pomegranate, raspberry and black pepper spice thrives on the nose, tapered by the smart mineral core and effortless fluidity. Exquisitely long. Alc 13.%
Mudbrick Vineyard, Oscar, Waiheke Island, Auckland 2024
Gold, 96 points
Cool-toned dark cherry, blackcurrant and plum amplified by a black peppercorn and herbal elegance. Svelte and luxurious with salivating acidity and taffeta tannins to complete. Alc 14%
Search all DWWA 2026 results
(Image credit: Future)
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