133. Syrah/Shiraz Grape Guide - Same Grape, Different Names: Styles, Regions and Winemaking for WSET Level 2
Notas do episódio
Host: Joanne Close Episode Length: 10:33 Release Date: October 13, 2026
Join the Wine Educate NewsletterGet wine tips, episode updates, and exclusive content delivered to your inbox. Subscribe at https://mailchi.mp/6648859973ba/newsletter
Level 2 Mock Exam BundleSyrah and Shiraz show up all over the WSET Level 2 exam, from Barossa Valley and Hunter Valley to the Northern Rhône and the blends of Southern France. The Level 2 Mock Exam Bundle gives you realistic practice questions in the same format as the real exam, so you can find your weak spots before exam day and walk in feeling prepared.
https://joanne-close.mykajabi.com/offers/xeXeiyop/checkout
Related EpisodesThis episode touches on the Rhône, the Languedoc and the earlier Australian history episodes. If you want to go deeper, these pair well with it:
- Episode 78 - The Languedoc
- Episode 81 - The Rhône Wine Laws
- Episode 82 - The Northern Rhône, Part 1: Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu & Château Grillet
- Episode 83 - The Northern Rhône, Part 2: Saint-Joseph, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage & Cornas
- Episode 84 - The Southern Rhône
- Episode 85 - Exploring Five Key Southern Rhône Crus: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Lirac, and Tavel
- Episode 131 - Australian Wine History: The Convicts Who Planted Australia's First Vines and the Wine Nerd Who Laid the Foundations
- Episode 132 - Australian Wine History - Why a "New World" Country Has Some of the World's Oldest Vines
The Australian wine series has reached the grape at its center. This episode is a full grape guide to Syrah/Shiraz, and it starts with a question students ask all the time: why does Australia call it Shiraz when most of the world calls it Syrah? Joanne explains the old theory that the grape came from the city of Shiraz in Persia, how that theory was circulating when James Busby collected his vines in 1831, and why Shiraz became the name that stuck in Australia. She then covers what DNA testing in 1998 revealed about where Syrah actually comes from.
From there, Joanne covers the WSET Level 2 essentials: grape characteristics, how moderate and warm climates change the style in the glass, and what oak and bottle age add. She covers the three Australian regions you need to know for Level 2 (Barossa Valley, Hunter Valley and South Eastern Australia) and then heads back to France for the Northern Rhône, the Languedoc's shift from bulk wine to quality, and the role Syrah plays in Southern French blends, including at her family's vineyard, Château Camplazens.
What You'll Learn in This Episode Why Australia Calls It Shiraz- The theory that Syrah originated in the city of Shiraz in Persia, modern-day Iran
- James Busby's 1831 vine-collecting expedition and Syrah's arrival in Australia in 1832
- The early names and spellings, including Hermitage, a nod to the Northern Rhône vines Busby collected
- Why Shiraz became Australia's preferred name
- Parentage established in 1998 through DNA fingerprinting
- Syrah's parents: Mondeuse Blanche, a white grape, and Dureza, a black grape
- Syrah is French, originating in southeastern France, not Persia
- Small berries with thick skins, producing deeply colored wines
- Medium to high tannins and acidity
- Blackberry, black cherry and distinctive black pepper
- Syrah prefers warm to moderate climates and does not do well in cool climates
- Moderate climates (Northern Rhône, cooler sites in Victoria): medium body, fresh black fruit, more pronounced pepper
- Warm climates (Barossa Valley, Languedoc, Napa Valley): full body, cooked or stewed black fruit, licorice, higher alcohol, riper tannins
- Oak aging is common and helps soften tannins
- Oak adds smoke, spice, vanilla and coffee
- With bottle age: dried fruit, leather, meat and earth
- Barossa Valley, South Australia: warm climate, historic old vines, full-bodied wines with high alcohol and ripe tannins
- Hunter Valley, New South Wales: warm, but moderated by cloud cover and sea breezes, giving medium-bodied wines that develop earth and meat with age
- South Eastern Australia GI: the warm inland regions of Riverland, Riverina and Murray Darling, home to large-volume, inexpensive Shiraz
- Shiraz is Australia's most widely planted grape and made up 23% of the national crush in 2025
- Northern Rhône: 100% Syrah, with Viognier co-fermentation permitted in Côte-Rôtie
- Côte-Rôtie's steep slopes and why everything there is done by hand
- Hermitage, a single hillside making concentrated wines, and Crozes-Hermitage, the surrounding land making a generally lighter style
- How the Languedoc moved from high-yield Carignan, Aramon and Cinsault to quality plantings including Syrah in the 1980s and 90s
- Syrah as a blending partner for Grenache, adding body, structure and color
- Minervois AOC blends and varietal Syrah under the IGP
- Syrah and Petite Sirah are not the same grape
- Australia's sparkling Shiraz
"Shiraz was the name that gained popularity, and so that is why the grape is called Shiraz today."
"So Syrah does not have its origins in Persia. It is French."
"You can see just how steep these slopes are. You have to do all this work by hand. There's no way you're getting a tractor up and down those slopes."
Syrah/Shiraz Quick ReferenceGrape: Black grape, small berries, thick skins, deep color
Structure: Medium to high tannins, medium to high acidity
Primary flavors: Blackberry, black cherry, black pepper
Parents: Mondeuse Blanche (white) x Dureza (black), confirmed by DNA in 1998
Moderate climate style: Medium body, fresh black fruit, pepper (Northern Rhône, cooler sites in Victoria)
Warm climate style: Full body, cooked black fruit, licorice, higher alcohol, riper tannins (Barossa Valley, Languedoc, Napa Valley)
Oak: Smoke, spice, vanilla, coffee
Bottle age: Dried fruit, leather, meat, earth
Australian regions for Level 2: Barossa Valley, Hunter Valley, South Eastern Australia GI
French regions for Level 2: Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Southern Rhône blends, Minervois AOC, Pays d'Oc IGP
Resources Mentioned- James Busby and his 1831 European vine-collecting expedition
- Château Camplazens, Joanne's family vineyard in the Languedoc, where Syrah is the most widely planted grape: https://www.camplazens.com/
- Level 1 and Level 2 quizzes, Level 3 essay questions and wine tips are available on a weekly basis through the Wine Educate newsletter. Make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss a quiz: https://mailchi.mp/6648859973ba/newsletter
- WSET Level 3 Prep, including an upcoming Shiraz module for Level 3 students: https://joanne-close.mykajabi.com/level-3-prep-landing-page-1
- Previous Wine Educate episodes on the Rhône, the Languedoc and Australian wine history (see Related Episodes above)
- Level 2 Mock Exam Bundle - realistic practice questions to prepare for the WSET Level 2 exam: https://joanne-close.mykajabi.com/offers/xeXeiyop/checkout
Joanne wraps up the Australian series with a look at modern Australia and what the Australian wine industry looks like today.
Connect with Wine EducateNewsletter: https://mailchi.mp/6648859973ba/newsletter - sign up for wine tips, quizzes, and episode updates delivered to your inbox every week.
Website: https://www.wineeducate.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wineeducate
Never miss an episode. Subscribe on your favourite podcast platform including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and YouTube. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review and share it with fellow wine lovers. Reviews are the best way to help other WSET students find the show.
About Wine EducateWine Educate is a WSET Approved Programme Provider offering internationally recognized wine certification courses. Through the podcast, Joanne Close makes wine education accessible to everyone, breaking down complex topics into practical, easy-to-understand lessons. Whether you are studying for your WSET certification or simply want to learn more about wine, you will find the guidance and knowledge you need to enjoy wine with confidence.
Episode 133 of the Wine Educate Podcast | Hosted by Joanne Close | © 2026 Wine Educate
Todos os episódios de Wine Educate: Wine Lessons, Travel & WSET Study Prep