Syrah vs Shiraz: One Grape, Two Names, and the South African Style That Sits Between Them

If you have looked at the back of a wine shelf and seen “Syrah” on one bottle and “Shiraz” on another, you have asked yourself the same question many of our tasting room visitors do. Are they the same wine? Are they different? Does the name on the label tell you anything useful?

The short answer is yes, no, and yes.

The two names refer to the same grape. The wine in the bottle, however, can taste very different depending on which name the winemaker chose. This guide explains the difference, why South African winemakers split between the two labels, and how to know which one will suit your meal.

The short version

Syrah and Shiraz come from the same vine. The grape’s botanical name is Syrah. It was first documented in the Northern Rhône region of France.

Australian wine producers renamed it Shiraz in the nineteenth century. The Australian style became so successful that the new name spread to other warm-climate regions. Today the word a winemaker chooses tells you about the style they are aiming for, more than the grape itself.

A simple shorthand:

• Syrah on the label usually signals a cooler, more savoury, more European style
• Shiraz usually signals a riper, bolder, fruit-forward style
• South African producers split between the two, depending on where the grapes are grown and the style the winemaker wants

Same grape. Same DNA. Different intent in the glass.

Where the names came from

The grape was first grown in the Rhône Valley of France, with records dating back centuries. There it is called Syrah. The most famous Northern Rhône appellations, including Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, and Cornas, are built almost entirely on this one variety.

Australian vine cuttings arrived from Europe in the early 1800s. The growers initially called the grape “Scyras” and “Hermitage” before settling on Shiraz. By the late nineteenth century, the spelling had stuck. Today Australia produces some of the world’s best-known examples under that name.

When other warm-climate regions started planting the grape, they had a choice. Use the original French name and reference the European tradition, or use the Australian name and reference the bigger, fruitier style. Both names are now used worldwide.

There is no legal rule about which name to use. The choice is a marketing and stylistic decision.

How each style actually tastes

This is where the choice on the label tells you something useful.

Syrah-style tasting notes (cooler climate, French-leaning):

• Black pepper, white pepper, and dried herbs
• Violet and dried floral notes
• Olive, tapenade, and meaty character in some examples
• Tighter, more savoury fruit, leaning towards blackberry and cassis
• Medium to full body with firm tannins
• High acidity, lifted finish

Shiraz-style tasting notes (warmer climate, Australian-leaning):

• Ripe blackberry, blueberry, and plum jam
• Sweet vanilla, mocha, and chocolate from new oak
• Liquorice and dark fruit liqueur in some examples
• Less peppery character, more fruit-forward
• Full body with rounder tannins
• Lower acidity, fuller mid-palate

If you put a glass of Hermitage Syrah next to a glass of Barossa Shiraz, you would not guess they came from the same grape.

Where South Africa sits

The South African Syrah scene is the most interesting one to watch right now.

Both names are legal here, and you will see both on the shelf. The split usually reflects the producer’s stylistic ambition. Wines labelled Syrah tend to come from cooler sites or from winemakers who pick earlier and use less new oak. Wines labelled Shiraz tend to come from warmer sites and have a riper, more polished profile.

Stellenbosch produces some of the best examples of both. The Polkadraai Hills, the Helderberg, and the Bottelary region each have their own character. Cooler pockets near the coast tend to produce more peppery, savoury wines. Warmer, higher slopes give more concentrated, riper fruit.

The Swartland, north of Cape Town, has built a separate reputation. Many of its top producers label the wine Syrah and lean towards a savoury, terroir-driven style with old bush vines as the source.

If you want a benchmark in your glass tonight, ask the shop assistant where the grapes were grown. The site usually matters more than the spelling.

A side-by-side comparison

What food each style wants

Both styles pair brilliantly with food. The trick is matching the wine to the dish’s weight and flavour profile.

Syrah-style pairings:

• Roast lamb with rosemary and garlic
• Duck with cherry or red wine reduction
• Mushroom risotto and earthy vegetable dishes
• Charcuterie boards with pepper salami and olives
• Aged hard cheeses, especially manchego and pecorino
• Grilled aubergine and Mediterranean vegetables

Shiraz-style pairings:

• Beef ribs, brisket, and other slow-cooked cuts
• Braai meat with smoky char
• Sosaties and boerewors
• Spiced stews and curries with depth
• Dark chocolate desserts after the meal
• Cheddar and other mature, salty cheeses

Black pepper is a useful pairing trick. Syrah is famously peppery, and dishes with cracked black pepper bring out the wine’s character. Try a Syrah with steak au poivre or a peppered lamb chop and you will see what we mean.

Why pepper turns up in Syrah but not Shiraz

The peppery character in cooler-climate Syrah comes from a compound called rotundone. It is the same compound that gives black peppercorns their kick. The grape produces more of it in cooler growing conditions and at slightly lower ripeness levels.

When the grape is grown in hotter conditions or picked later, the rotundone level drops and the pepper note fades. Riper fruit takes its place. The wine becomes Shiraz in style, even if the producer calls it Syrah.

This is why the spelling alone does not tell the whole story. A South African Syrah grown in a warm site can taste more like Australian Shiraz than like Hermitage. And a Shiraz from a high-altitude cool site can show more pepper than its label suggests.

The growing site does the work. The name follows.

How to spot a great bottle

For Syrah-style wines, look for:

• Cool-climate regions on the label (Elgin, Cederberg, Constantia, Polkadraai)
• “Single vineyard” or “old vines” if you want concentration
• Alcohol around 13 to 14%, which signals earlier picking
• A producer known for restraint, not extraction

For Shiraz-style wines, look for:

• Warmer regions on the label (Paarl, Wellington, Robertson, some Stellenbosch sites)
• Alcohol of 14 to 15%, which signals fuller ripeness
• Heavy bottles and dark labels (a rough cue for the bigger style)
• Producers known for ripe, polished wines

Why Boschkloof bottles Syrah

Our Polkadraai Road site sits in one of the cooler corners of Stellenbosch, with granite-rich soils and good Atlantic influence. Those conditions favour the Syrah style. We pick earlier, ferment cooler, and use older oak. The wines lean peppery, savoury, and lifted, rather than jammy.

Our flagship wine, Epilogue, is a single-vineyard Syrah. It became the first South African red to receive a 98-point score from an internationally acclaimed critic. The style sits closer to a Northern Rhône Syrah than to an Australian Shiraz, with the pepper and structure to match.

Pick Syrah if, pick Shiraz if

The cheat sheet.

Pick Syrah-style if:

• You like reds with savoury, herbal complexity
• The meal includes lamb, herbs, or mushrooms
• You enjoy a peppery edge in your wine
• You want a red that will improve with age
• You prefer a lifted, lower-alcohol profile

Pick Shiraz-style if:

• You like reds with rich, ripe fruit
• The meal is braai food, ribs, or spiced stews
• You enjoy wines with vanilla and oak character
• You want a soft, generous mouthfeel
• You prefer fuller-bodied, fruit-forward wines

Try our Syrah at the cellar

If you want to taste what cool-climate South African Syrah is doing right now, the easiest way is at the cellar. Our standard Syrah and Epilogue Syrah are both available for tasting at the farm, alongside the Kottabos Grenache Syrah blend.

Book a tasting at the cellar

Or explore the Epilogue Syrah online and read about the single-vineyard story.

Frequently asked questions