Syrah / Shiraz
When Australians first planted Syrah in the 1830s, they called it Shiraz. The precise reason is lost in the mists of time but having a distinct name has proved to be useful because of the distinct big-burly-bright-and-full-of-fruit Syrah style that we have the unremitting Aussie heat to thank for. In recent years it has been New Zealand’s Syrah turning the heads of industry luminaries, described by one as “the most exciting bracket of New Zealand red wines I have ever encountered”. So keep a bottle of Hawke’s Bay or Waiheke Island Syrah close by for when you need to enhance a dark-meat dish or for when you simply get a craving for a wine with elegant texture and bright, spicy flavours.