18/05/2026
Que Shiraz, Syrah...? Andrew Corrigan, Master of Wine, breaks it down🍷👇🏼
It's arguably Australia's most well-known variety - same grape, two names, but behind that, two very different philosophies!
Syrah is the French expression. Born in the Rhône Valley, it's cool, restrained and spicy- think cherry, cracked pepper and sage, with little oak influence and an elegance that comes from centuries of refinement in villages like Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie. So famous was Hermitage that Australian producers actually borrowed the name for their own wines, until the practice was made illegal in the 1990s.
Shiraz is the Australian answer. Warmer, richer and more generous - ripe raspberry, soft chocolate, and the kind of big, welcoming palate that made Australian wine a sensation in the UK and Europe throughout the 1990s. It's the grape behind Penfolds Grange, Henschke Hill of Grace, Clonakilla and some of the most celebrated bottles this country has ever produced.
On the Granite Belt, we sit in rare territory. Our cool climate means we can craft both: the spicy, pepper-driven Rhône style and the rich, fruit-forward Australian expression, from the same hillside.
Our Shiraz: https://www.hiddencreek.com.au/wine/shiraz-viognier-2023
Our Syrah: https://www.hiddencreek.com.au/wine/syrah-2024
