Q: What is the difference between shiraz and syrah? O. LINFORD, ASPENDALE, VIC

Shiraz and syrah are two names for the same grape. The French call it syrah; Australians mostly call it shiraz. New Zealanders call it syrah, in an attempt to tell the world they believe their style of shiraz is more like the French version (meaning the northern Rhône Valley) than anything Australian. In the US, we can find both. In South Africa, it's most likely to be called shiraz.

Generally, it's a useful guide to the style of the wine. If you take Australian shiraz to be dark, full-bodied, rich in blackberry and chocolate flavours and well-supplied with tannin, such as those from the Barossa or McLaren Vale, this is probably the way most of the world sees Australian shiraz. It would be over-generalising, of course, as there are many styles of shiraz in Australia – more than any other country – as we grow it in a range of climatic regions.

A syrah, if we take the model to be based on Northern Rhône classics such as Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie and Saint-Joseph, is likely to be a little lighter – more medium-bodied than full – with spicy aromas perhaps including pepper; finer, lighter tannins and lower alcohol. This coincides with cool climates, so it's no surprise the Kiwis use the term syrah for their wines from Hawke's Bay and Martinborough. Some Australian cool-climate shirazes are also termed syrah. Think Riversdale Estate in Tasmania's Coal River Valley, Timo Mayer and Mac Forbes in the Upper Yarra Valley, and Clonakilla and Lerida Estate in the Canberra District. Some wineries, including Clonakilla, have a bob each way, fielding both shirazes and syrahs.