Podcasts · Wine Educate: Wine Lessons, Travel & WSET Study Prep
133. Syrah/Shiraz Grape Guide - Same Grape, Different Names: Styles, Regions and Winemaking for WSET Level 2
· 11 min · S1 E133
Episode 133. Syrah/Shiraz Grape Guide - Same Grape, Different Names: Styles, Regions and Winemaking for WSET Level 2
Episode 133: Syrah/Shiraz Grape Guide - Same Grape, Different Names: Styles, Regions and Winemaking for WSET Level 2
Host: Joanne Close Episode Length: 10:33 Release Date: October 13, 2026
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Level 2 Mock Exam Bundle
Syrah 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.
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Related Episodes
This 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
Episode Description
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
What DNA Revealed
• 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
Grape Characteristics (WSET Level 2)
• Small berries with thick skins, producing deeply colored wines • Medium to high tannins and acidity • Blackberry, black cherry and distinctive black pepper
Climate and Style
• 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
Winemaking and Maturation
• Oak aging is common and helps soften tannins • Oak adds smoke, spice, vanilla and coffee • With bottle age: dried fruit, leather, meat…
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