Find Your Wine Style.
Whether you want to make a single grape varietal wine or a blend, RJS Craft Winemaking kits are made with the finest juices and concentrates to make your favourite wine styles. Use our wine selector to learn more about wines you love and possibly discover new wines that might be your next favourite.
Syrah/Shiraz
The Grape
Syrah is an ancient dark-skinned grape variety from the Rhone winemaking region in France where they have been using it to make wine since the times of the Greeks and Romans. It is now grown throughout the world. In fact, South Africa was the first country outside France to plant Syrah in the 1650s. It arrived in Australia at the end of the 18th Century and soon became the most widely planted grape in that country. Australians famously gave it the name Shiraz.
The Wines
Some of the darkest, most full-bodied and age-worthy wines in the world are made with Syrah. Syrah is most known for its bold, fruity flavours from currants, blackberries and sweet blueberries to savoury black olives. The fruit then tapers off and the wine finishes with its signature spicy peppery note. While Syrah makes outstanding single varietal wines, its dark colour and firm tannins make it a favourite grape to blend with varieties such as Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Occasions
A bold wine like Syrah pairs best with similarly bold foods. A big, juicy cheeseburger made with top sirloin and an artisan smoked cheddar is worthy of drinking with a fine Shiraz. A flavourful wine like Shiraz should be sipped at a slower pace to properly savour its aroma and taste. For the best taste experience, serve your Shiraz in a Bordeaux-style wine glass.
Different types of winemaking practices can affect the outcome of your wine. The chart below is a guideline for how we describe the profiles of our finished wines. Refer to tasting notes for each wine’s profile.
| OAK | BODY | SWEETNESS |
|---|---|---|
|
U - UNOAKED L - LIGHT M - MEDIUM H - HEAVY |
L - LIGHT M - MEDIUM F - FULL |
D - DRY O - OFF-DRY S - SWEET |
| Weeks | 8 |
|---|---|
| Varietal | Syrah/Shiraz |
| Sweetness | Dry |
| Oak | Heavy |
| Body | Medium |
| Labels Included | No |
shiraz Australia Shiraz
Warm black fruit and berries entice the nose, while concentrated flavours of red fruit, oak, and chocolate round out the experience of this satisfying medium-bodied wine.
Food Pairings
Pairs well with pasta and tomato sauce or grilled steak.
| Weeks | 6 |
|---|---|
| Varietal | Syrah/Shiraz |
| Sweetness | Dry |
| Oak | Heavy |
| Body | Medium |
| Labels Included | No |
shiraz Australia Style Shiraz
Deep and dark in colour with a rich bouquet of fruit and a hint of cassis, this is the Shiraz that put Australian wines on the map.
Food Pairings
Ideal with spicy chili con carne or burgers with grilled onions and gouda cheese.