Shiraz - Australia"s Top Red Wine
Shiraz placed Australia on the international winemaking map.
You'll easily find even its big brands like Craggy Range, Henschke, and Penfolds in online stores and in wine cellars in your neighborhood.
It is sought after by wine lovers who love its richness in color, flavor, and aroma.
You won't miss its elegant deep purple shade that represents well its full-bodied taste.
But shiraz wasn't always this popular when it was first introduced in the country.
It was only until the middle of the 20th century that it has evolved into having the rich flavors that it has today.
For quite some time, the nation's winemaking industry and the government was concentrating more on cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay as their prime wines.
There was even an instruction from the government to pull the old vines of shiraz and replace them with the more popular grapes.
But those who believed in the cultivation of shiraz resisted and brought forth the best bottles of reds that Australia is known for.
It's not only become a major part of the country's imports, but also a reason to draw tourists to its vineyards.
The Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, and Hunter Valley are the chief regions of shiraz growers and winemakers.
But the cooler districts of Central Victoria and Coonawarra now also cultivate shiraz and produces a style that's more structured and tastes of black cherry and spices, instead of the dominant flavors of chocolate and plums that you'll get from the varieties in the warmer regions.
The more traditional winemakers use 100 percent American oak for processing, but some vintners today are using older French oak barrels.
The styles of shiraz do vary from medium to full body and can have a range of flavors including cherries, berries, plums, peppers, spices, chocolate, and even smoked meats.
But all styles, at least the excellent ones, have the ripeness and smoothness that wine lovers look for.
Some shirazes are actually blended with minimal amounts of cabernet sauvignon, but many of the superb bottles are 100 percent shiraz.
The taste of this infamous red wine is perfect for scrumptious dishes of red meats like beef or lamb stews, roasted wild game, barbecued meats, and American pizzas loaded with meats.
Shiraz now shares about one-fifth of the overall red grape production of Australia.
Indeed, it is the country's top red wine and is something Australians are truly proud of.
Its taste is well-known to wine lovers both locally and internationally.
So you shouldn't be surprised if you'll see its top brands, such as Craggy Range and Penfolds in online wine shops and cellars around town.
You'll easily find even its big brands like Craggy Range, Henschke, and Penfolds in online stores and in wine cellars in your neighborhood.
It is sought after by wine lovers who love its richness in color, flavor, and aroma.
You won't miss its elegant deep purple shade that represents well its full-bodied taste.
But shiraz wasn't always this popular when it was first introduced in the country.
It was only until the middle of the 20th century that it has evolved into having the rich flavors that it has today.
For quite some time, the nation's winemaking industry and the government was concentrating more on cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay as their prime wines.
There was even an instruction from the government to pull the old vines of shiraz and replace them with the more popular grapes.
But those who believed in the cultivation of shiraz resisted and brought forth the best bottles of reds that Australia is known for.
It's not only become a major part of the country's imports, but also a reason to draw tourists to its vineyards.
The Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, and Hunter Valley are the chief regions of shiraz growers and winemakers.
But the cooler districts of Central Victoria and Coonawarra now also cultivate shiraz and produces a style that's more structured and tastes of black cherry and spices, instead of the dominant flavors of chocolate and plums that you'll get from the varieties in the warmer regions.
The more traditional winemakers use 100 percent American oak for processing, but some vintners today are using older French oak barrels.
The styles of shiraz do vary from medium to full body and can have a range of flavors including cherries, berries, plums, peppers, spices, chocolate, and even smoked meats.
But all styles, at least the excellent ones, have the ripeness and smoothness that wine lovers look for.
Some shirazes are actually blended with minimal amounts of cabernet sauvignon, but many of the superb bottles are 100 percent shiraz.
The taste of this infamous red wine is perfect for scrumptious dishes of red meats like beef or lamb stews, roasted wild game, barbecued meats, and American pizzas loaded with meats.
Shiraz now shares about one-fifth of the overall red grape production of Australia.
Indeed, it is the country's top red wine and is something Australians are truly proud of.
Its taste is well-known to wine lovers both locally and internationally.
So you shouldn't be surprised if you'll see its top brands, such as Craggy Range and Penfolds in online wine shops and cellars around town.
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