Aussie Shiraz: Fact or Addiction?

That title makes no sense. Ignore it. As I alluded to in my previous post, the last couple nights consisted of a Syrah tasting and wine pong. First, the Syrah tasting was actually a Shiraz tasting (they are the same grape), and second, wine bong became beer pong after a couple rounds... when we ran out of wine.

Shiraz is Syrah, and I prefer the latter, but the Aussie's prefer the former. The grape is from the Rhone, not some city in Persia called Shiraz. That's Bologna. The Northern Rhone is dominated by Syrah, notably Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage, while the Southern Rhone which includes Chateauneaf-du-Pape is typically Grenache Dominant. Enough history though; the Australians are known for their over the top Syrahs (screw you, "Shiraz").

Despite that I've only been to two of these tasting groups since I've been... alive... this one was disappointing. The highlight wines were a Reynella and a Penfold's. I just wasn't feeling it, and neither was anyone else. I don't understand why these wines are so popular here, or maybe Australia just got a bad draw. In any case, next time someone wants to pop open an Aussie Shiraz, my only advice is run like hell. Actually I just finished off the 2005 Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz ($9) and it wasn't nearly as bad as I remember (I rated it last of 6 blind), so that's one bright spot for the land down under.

Next time you're in the mood for cheap Australian imports I'd go more the route of INXS's Greatest Hits (especially "Original Sin") or Foster's (Australian for beer). Wine pong looked for a while as though it would just be a practice round between me and one other alcoholic, so I picked up a scary cheap 2004 Pinot Noir Vin de Pays from Languedoc at $4. It sucked, but the Chateau St Michelle Blanc de Noirs wasn't bad, although surprisingly not as good as their Blanc de Blancs. But seriously, is it even possible to make bad sparkling wine? Needless to say when we had 8 people 3 bottles went quickly and we resorted to Keystone and PBR. I also managed to win a few rounds of water pong which proved crucial in preventing a work-impairing hangover. So the next wine pong match will involve more wine, but I'm not sure if I'll be bringing any Shiraz.

By the way, I love Australians.