Shiraz sparkles...
I may know more about wine than the average person - but there is so much that I don’t know. And until last week I had no idea that sparkling Shiraz existed. Today I tried it and it was delicious.
First a little history - Syrah the grape originated in France and was brought to Australia by James Busby, and there it’s called Shiraz; they share DNA. Petite Sirah/Syrah however, is a child of Syrah, not the same grape.
Now, back to sparkling Shiraz. I spent the last 2 days back in wine school, this time working on D4 otherwise known as Diploma Unit 4: Sparkling Wines. When we think of sparkling wine, we automatically go to: Champagne, Prosecco, Cava (if you’re me, Crémant & Sekt), maybe even Lambrusco. You don’t think Shiraz. I was very skeptical when reading about it.
Today - I was lucky enough to taste it. Made in the same Traditional way that Champagne is (2nd fermentation in the bottle); this was a bold wine that was able to display it’s flavors well. The distinctive Shiraz black pepper, cherry, chocolate characters jump out of the glass. Plus the soft bubbles really made this wine fun. The acidity was high enough to balance out the sweetness that I tasted it as dry (it’s off dry). The fruit popped in the glass and the medium + finish left you wanting more. (As I sit at home trying to find where to buy some).
While I have never seen a Sparkling Shiraz on a menu or in the store - I can honestly say I was never looking for one. But if you like red wines and bubbles, you’ll like this.
