Syrah / Shiraz Wine and Cheese Pairings

Pairing Cheese with Syrah / Shiraz - The dark berry and tar flavors found in Syrahs meld gracefully into sheep's milk cheeses, from young to old. Try Syrah with British farmhouse cheddar and well-aged Alpine-style cow's milk cheeses. Avoid strong blues, their flavor dominates the pairing.

About Syrah / Shiraz - Syrah with its lush, full-bodied, spicy and complex flavors produces some of the most famous wines of the French Rhone including Hermitage and Cote-Rotie. It has become the most popular red wine in Australia ( where it is called Shiraz) and has become increasingly popular in California (where it is called Petite Sirah). The Syrah grape is amenable to blending with other varietals. This blending often provides more backbone and structure that can be lacking in some unblended wines. There is a wide variety of Syrahs that run the gamut from soft and medium-bodied wines with some berry qualities to deeply hued, intense wines with dominant notes of roasted peppers, black cherries and smoke.