You Say Syrah, I Say Shiraz

15 June 2007

You Say Syrah, I Say Shiraz

Cuisine Announces the Best

So is it Syrah or Shiraz? They both refer to the same grape but it's all a matter of geography and of taste, according to Cuisine's wine experts in their latest annual tasting of New Zealand Syrah and Australian Shiraz wines.

When it comes to the softer-sounding Syrah, this is the name preference of New Zealanders looking to distinguish our softer, lighter and less flamboyant styles from the "knife and fork" qualities of Australian Shiraz. Regardless of what's in the name, both styles come under the intense scrutiny of an expert panel in the July issue of Cuisine.

With this tasting of New Zealand Syrah and Australian Shiraz, the experienced Cuisine panel judged more than 150 entries to select and rate the top wines. As with all Cuisine tastings, wines were judged blind, were readily available at time of publication and subject to a strict protocol and audit regarding their star ratings.

Cuisine's judging panel, led by Australian wine authority Ralph Kyte-Powell, says it's niche, it's highly fashionable and its future looks promising. That's the verdict for New Zealand emerging grape variety, Syrah.

"Attractive", "lovely" and "pretty" were also some of the key descriptors used by the judges for Syrahs in the tasting, reflecting an emerging style that is more feminine and French than brutish and Barossa-like.

Traditionally recognised as a Hawke's Bay speciality due to its heat-loving character, it was no surprise that most of the wines submitted for the Syrah tasting were from this region. Hawke's Bay-grown wines dominated the Top Five line-up, produced the top wine (Vidal Reserve Syrah 2004) and emerged as the best buy of the tasting (Gunn Estate Silistria 2005).

The Top Five New Zealand Syrahs are: Vidal Reserve Syrah 2004 (Cuisine five stars), Craggy Range Le Sol 2005 (Cuisine five stars), Cottage Block Hawke's Bay Syrah 2005 (Cuisine four stars), Mudbrick Reserve Syrah Waiheke Island 2005 (Cuisine four stars) and Gunn Estate Silistria 2005 (Cuisine four stars). Judges selected a Top Five rather than a Top Ten from the 30 entries in the tasting for this more specialist grape variety.

The Cuisine judges rated Vidal Reserve Syrah 2004 as the best in the land. They described it as "exquisite" and "a fine example of what can be done with Hawke's Bay Syrah; an exciting pointer to what is to come".

Chief winemaker at Vidal, Alastair Maling MW says Vidal aims to produce Syrah with a distinctively New Zealand "ripe fruit style". While Vidal is still finding its way with Syrah, Cuisine wine writer Michael Larsen says it demonstrates a commitment to winemaking excellence that can only bode well for the grape and the region.

Across the ditch, the big, bold, jammy and lush style of Australian Shiraz receives international praise and so it was in this latest Cuisine tasting. While only five wines earned the coveted five-star Cuisine rating, when it comes to value for money red wine with tons of generous flavour and an easy-going nature, Ralph Kyte-Powell says Australian Shiraz is still hard to beat.

Cuisine has named The Willows Vineyard Barossa Valley Shiraz 2003 as its top Australian Shiraz. Seven wines were recommended as great-value best buys: Saltram Mamre Brook Shiraz 2004, Wolf Blass Gold Label Shiraz 2005, Ingoldby Shiraz 2004, Manara Rock Shiraz 2005, Taylors Estate Shiraz 2005, Wirra Wirra Scrubby Rise Shiraz Cabernet Petit Verdot 2005 and Wyndham Estate Bin 555 Shiraz 2004.

Cuisine's complete wine-tasting listings for three-, four- and five-star ratings are listed at www.cuisine.co.nz

On sale from 11 June, Cuisine is available from all supermarkets and good bookstores throughout New Zealand.

So what's new in Cuisine's July issue?

· Italy on a budget - a tasting of affordable Italian wines under $30

· Are you a vintagist? Michael Larsen discusses the merits of buying wine by vintage

· Learn what the new wine term "screwcappy" means

· Find out about the bone-setter's legacy and the origins of the best Shiraz wines

· Get inspired to taste, cellar and search for great new wines and old favourites in Cuisine's dedicated wine section

The top New Zealand Syrahs and Australian Shiraz wines as rated by Cuisine are available for tasting over the next two months at the following fine-wine stores:

TOP TEN TASTING DATES FOR NEW ZEALAND SYRAH & AUSTRALIAN SHIRAZ

AUCKLAND

First Glass Wines & Spirits Ph: 09-486 6415 www.first-glass.co.nz Wed 27 June 7pm $15

Glengarry Victoria Park Ph: 0800-733 505 www.glengarry.co.nz Sat 16 June 11am-4pm (free)

La Barrique Ph: 09-638 5000 www.labarrique.co.nz Thurs 14 June 7pm (tutored $40)

Waiheke Wine Centre Ph: 09-372 6139 www.waihekewinecentre.co.nz Thurs 28 June 7pm

HAMILTON

Hamilton Wine Company Upstairs at Embargo Restaurant, Garden Place Ph: 07-839 1190 Tues 3 July 7pm

NAPIER

Swig Ph: 06-835 7999 www.swig.co.nz Fri 29 June 4pm-7pm

WELLINGTON

Glengarry Thorndon Quay Ph: 04-472 7051 www.glengarry.co.nz Sat 16 June 3pm-6pm (free)

NELSON

Casa del Vino Ph: 03-548 0088 www.casadelvino.co.nz Wed 20 June 6pm

CHRISTCHURCH

Vino Fino Ph: 03-3655134 www.vinofino.co.nz Tues 3 July 6pm

ARROWTOWN

Allan Hamilton Wine Cellars Ph: 03-442 1026 Thurs 21 June 5pm-7pm

WANAKA

Wanaka Fine Wines Ph: 03-443 7539 Thurs 14 June 6pm

Note to editors:

A panel of wine experts from New Zealand and Australia conducted Cuisine's tastings of New Zealand Syrah and Australian Shiraz:

· Panel chair Ralph Kyte-Powell (Melbourne wine writer, author and international wine judge)

· John Hancock (CEO, Trinity Hill Wines, Hawke's Bay)

· Tony Bish (Chief winemaker, Sacred Hill Wines, Hawke's Bay)

· Associate wine judge Jane Boyle (trading manager for Cardmember Wines, wine judge at the International Chardonnay Challenge, Air New Zealand Wine Awards and Royal Easter Show Wine Awards among others)

ENDS

© Scoop Media