SHIRAZ

Shiraz is Syrah that moved to Australia and got louder. Same grape, same DNA — but where the Northern Rhône version leans savory, peppery and restrained, the Australian expression ripens into something darker and more generous: blackberry and plum instead of red fruit, chocolate and vanilla from oak, and a warm, mouth-filling finish that makes it one of the easiest big reds to hand to someone who says they do not like red wine.

That difference comes down to sun. Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale get significantly more heat than the Rhône, which pushes sugar and therefore alcohol higher and turns the grape's natural pepper note into something closer to sweet spice. Australian growers also work with some of the oldest ungrafted vines on earth — a few Barossa plantings date to the 1840s, having escaped the phylloxera that wiped out most of Europe.

Where to start

For a first bottle, 19 Crimes Shiraz ($12.09) is the crowd-pleaser: soft, jammy, faintly sweet, and the label story is a genuine conversation starter. Three Rings Shiraz ($15.99) is the better-made Barossa alternative at nearly the same price, with more structure behind the fruit.

Moving up, Layer Cake Shiraz ($18.09) is the reliable mid-shelf pick — dense, chocolatey and built for grilled meat — and d'Arenberg The Footbolt Shiraz ($18.99) brings genuine McLaren Vale character: earthier, more savory, closer to the Rhône end of the spectrum.

For the serious bottles, Mitolo Jester Shiraz ($24.09) and Two Hands Gnarly Dudes Shiraz ($32.99) are both single-region Barossa and McLaren Vale wines from producers who built their reputations on this grape. Gnarly Dudes in particular is what people mean when they talk about old-vine Barossa Shiraz.

What to pour it with

Shiraz wants fat and char. Grilled lamb, ribeye, barbecue with a sweet sauce, aged cheddar, anything with smoke on it. The riper Barossa bottles handle sweetness in a glaze better than almost any other red. Serve slightly below room temperature — around 60–65°F — because at full room temperature the alcohol dominates and the fruit flattens out.

If you want the same grape in its restrained French form, our Syrah collection is the direct comparison. For neighboring styles, Cabernet Sauvignon is the more structured, tannic option and the broader red wine collection covers everything else. Browse the full Shiraz collection above, or check best sellers for what is moving fastest.