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Shiraz
Shiraz. The French grape with an Aussie name. Originating in the northern region of South East France, the Syrah grape is the famous son of two lesser-known, ancient grapes (Dureza and Mondeuse blanche).
It is the grape made famous by French wines such as Crozes Hermitage, Côtes-du-Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In 1831, James Busby brought the first Syrah cuttings back to Australia and he used the spelling ‘Scyras’ and ‘Ciras’. Well, it’s often thought that, in the hands of Australians, that soon got changed to the name ‘Shiraz’, which is in widespread use among new world wines today.
Whether you call it Shiraz or Syrah, the grape itself is a robust, black grape which produces powerful, dark, full-bodied wines with delicious aromas of black fruits, pepper and mint. The Syrah/Shiraz grape is full of antioxidants and if you’re looking for a big powerful wine, this is the grape for you.
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