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cost

Cost is mostly determined by where you are so we have decided to use a very general pricing system. Exact costs in your area can be found on individual wine pages:
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rating

Members of the-wine-guide can vote on the overall quality of a wine and a wine's rating is an average of the votes. You should view this as a rule of thumb. Like a movie review, you may love one film for certain qualities but someone else watching the exact same film may loth it for the same reasons. If a three star wine has a flavor profile that appeals to you, you should give it a shot. But you may want to give one star wines with many votes a miss.

flavor

Flavor profile of a wine. These are determined by votes, users of the-wine-guide chose what flavors they think are in the wine, the top 5 voted flavors will come out on top

origin

The place where a wine is grown. The place of origin is important because like coffee, a grape varietal will pick up distinct set of flavor characteristics based on the soil or climate of the region it is grown in. In Europe this is called terroir, and it is considered so important it is the foundation of their entire naming system.

varietal(s)

A varietal is the type of grape used to make the wine. Each varietal of grape has its own climate that it likes to grow in and a distinct flavor. The type of grape used to make a wine is largely responsible for how a wine will taste. So a bottle of Cabernet from California will have similar characteristics to a Cab from South Africa.

type

The type of wine. A wine can be red, white, rose, dessert (includes ports and other fortified wines, late harvest, ice wine, and anything else sweet), sparkling (includes Champagne), sparkling rose, sparkling red

body

The 'mouth-feel' of a wine. Can range from light, medium to full-bodied. A full bodied wine would be very rich, heavy and dense in character like a dark earl grey tea or a steak dinner. A light bodied wine would be refreshing like chrysanthemum tea or a salad.

Shiraz/Syrah

(varietals, shiraz, syrah, red wine)

by The Wine Guide

Body: Full Bodied
Taste: Rich and strong, with notes of blackberry, flowers, chocolate and spice/black pepper
Additional aging brings out leather/truffle character.

Spicing it up

Depending on where it's from, this international grape goes by the name of Shiraz or Syrah, but whatever its name, there is no denying the finesse and power of this varietal. Wineries in the Northern Rhone and the "Rhone Rangers" of California and Australia use Syrah to create full bodied, smokey wines with alot of depth and tannin. Australian Shiraz however, are very fruit forward, incredibly dense, and almost chocolatey. The most notable characteristic of wines made with this grape however is it's black pepper, spicy notes.

The Wines

France: Syrah's original home was in the Cote du Rhone where it was/is blended with up to 13 other grapes, mostly to give Syrah a boost in the fruit department. Syrah is also combined with Grenache and Mourvedre in the Chateauneuf-du-Pape region, where it makes for a spicy, ripe wine that can gracefully age for decades.

Australia: Ancient, twisted vines from Oz pack a powerful punch, with striking layers of chocolate, flowers and a richness that only Aussies seem to be able to produce. Long lived, dark and concentrated, these top wines from Australia have taken the French Syrah and firmly re-invented, re-named, and claimed it as their own.

In addition to making concentrated behemoths, Australian wine makers have also taken to blending Shiraz with Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache to make more every-day drinking, medium bodied, highly fruity styles.

South Africa: South Africa has a reputation for clumsy, alcoholic Syrah, but if you find the right producer, a concentrated beast full of smoke, hints of tar and spice emerges. Takes a bit of getting used to but if you're tired of the Australian or Rhone styles, this is where to look.

USA: Rich, full and round, California's self-proclaimed "Rhone Rangers" (wineries that are Rhone Valley enthusiasts) make an elegantly crafted Syrah.

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