Australian Sparkling Shiraz wine regional and flavour profile

Tastes and aromas

Flavours of intense chocolate, spice and liquorice, alongside vibrant raspberry, dark berries and plum. The richness of fruit is balanced with hints of oak.

Mouthfeel

Velvety, structured (but not overpowering) tannins.

Drink now or later

Most Sparkling Shiraz hit their peak between 3-5 year old and become very interesting after a few years in the cellar.  Some however can last 10+ years from vintage. The fruits will tend toward more savoury interesting notes, and will follow a traditional Shiraz’s flavour transformation into tobacco and leathery characters.

Fun Facts

• With a history in Australia that tracks back to the 1880’s this highly regarded festive drink is a true Australian wine icon.
• It is typically made using the same process as champagne in which the wines undertake a secondary fermentation in the bottle to create the bubbles. The storage and additional handling of these wines means they’re not as profitable as still wines, which leaves only the winemakers who are truly in love with the varietal to produce them. As such there are only around 60 wineries in Australia carrying this varietal.
• While most sparkling wines are served in Champagne flutes, the best way to drink Sparkling Shiraz is in a red wine glass, this allows the full spectrum of aromas to be experienced.

Regions

Great examples of Sparkling Shiraz have come from the Adelaide Hills, Northern Tasmania, Yarra Valley, Coonawarra, Hunter Valley and Margaret River.

Food Pairings

Sparkling Shiraz is best served a little chilled. This is to slightly soften and round out its inborn intensity.  This versatile variety tends to go well with oriental food as well as meals featuring duck breast, Quail or game meats. For desserts it matches up nicely to rich desserts such as Christmas pudding.