How to drink wine #1: Syrah/Shiraz
I was basically teetotal for forty years. Now I’m not. (Therein lies a story for another time.)
When I first started drinking wine, I knew nothing beyond the fact that there was red, and there was white, and there was something very uncool called rosé.
A few years later and I know a little bit more than that … but not much, which I think might make this series useful. These will not be the dense and poetic musings of an expert oenophile but rather the basic steps of someone feeling his way. Perhaps that will be interesting to fellow wine amateurs.
Let’s start with a red.
I like red wine more than white and I really like Syrah/Shiraz wines. Syrah is red wine made from the syrah grape and has its traditional home in the Rhône valley in south-eastern France. This makes it a “cool” varietal, although cool sounds pretty relative to me from my home in England.
In Australia, Syrah is “warm” and is called Shiraz, possibly with a nod to the supposed origin of the grape in Persia. Despite being from the same grape, the climate difference affects the taste.
In general, Syrah/Shiraz wines are “full-bodied,” meaning that they are a bit more alcoholic than others and tend to have a rich, deep flavour. Tannins, which give a lingering dry “mouthfeel,” are medium to high. You would expect the European vintages to be rich, relatively dry, and have berry notes, while the New Worlds are softer and “jammier” (fruity).
I recently bought an Australian Yellow Tail 2019 Shiraz from my local supermarket. One review calls it commercial “plonk” but this seems harsh. As a wine beginner, I can basically tell the difference between nasty and non-nasty wine and this wasn’t nasty. Nor was it expensive, so that’s a win for now.
I am learning that something that makes a wine good, or at least good for me, is that the lingering taste is pleasant. I have now had a few wines where that taste has been weak and a little sour. For me, this would be a sign of plonkery but maybe I am getting this wrong. In any case, I am slowly learning what I like.
The Yellow Tail has a nice, deep colour and smells immediately of plums (make sure you swirl the wine in the glass to release the aromas). It tastes fruity and the mouthfeel is a nice mix of initial sweetness followed by a moderate tannin grip and gentle alcohol warmth. I like it and in the sub-£10 bracket, it’s decent value. Ne pas plonk.
Better options if you want to spend a little more are this 2014 Australian, which is available to buy online in the US, and this French Syrah, which you can get in the UK.
Please share you favourite Shiraz wine. Rhône or New World? I love to get recommendations from others.
Next bibbing: Chardonnay.
