Does shiraz have to be big, bold and in your face?

Let us preface this by saying we love a classic, big shiraz. Give us a long Sunday lunch by an open fire, good company and a few bottles of Barossa’s best, and we’re in heaven. However, if you live in a world where fireside long lunches are few and far between, you may be keeping shiraz on the shelf. 

Historically, shiraz has felt like a wine variety you need to commit to in order to enjoy, like a David Fincher film, or build up to it with a pinot noir or rosé first. But recently, producers have been broadening the shiraz horizons and experimenting with styles that are, shall we say, non-committal. They are the kind you can dip in and out of, have just a glass after work, or pour to accompany your quick dinner catch-up with your VB (very busy) bestie. 

These new-wave styles of shiraz have all the guts and hallmark traits of a traditional shiraz (or syrah, which is the same grape) — there’s no mistaking what variety it is — but they are lighter, fresher and decidedly more medium bodied. These adjustments are helping to make shiraz more approachable, as well as more food-friendly and drinkable, all while keeping all those same flavours you want from the variety.

These emerging styles aren’t just coming from cutting-edge producers in cool climates, either. Even some Barossa producers are pulling back on the more traditional, robust styles and fine-tuning things. Shiraz can be so much more than what your dad thinks it is, and the following seven wines more than make this case.