How to pronounce Shiraz

What is Shiraz?

The Australian name for the Syrah grape, a full-bodied red variety that produces bold, fruit-forward wines with flavors of blackberry, plum, pepper, and chocolate. Australia's most widely planted red grape, it is the signature variety of regions like the Barossa Valley.

Shiraz and Syrah are the same dark-skinned grape. Syrah is the French name; Shiraz is the name used in Australia and, for most bottles, in South Africa. DNA testing has shown that the variety is the offspring of two grapes from southeastern France, Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche. The old story that it came from the Persian city of Shiraz has no documentary support.

James Busby brought cuttings to Australia in the early 1830s. They were planted in Sydney and the Hunter Valley and reached South Australia in 1839. Early Australian records spell the grape Scyras, and many Australian wines were labeled Hermitage until the late 1980s. Shiraz is now Australia's most planted wine grape, and some Barossa vineyards planted in the 1840s still produce fruit.

Style follows climate. Barossa Valley Shiraz is full-bodied and richly textured, with blackberry, pepper and spice. McLaren Vale versions are also full-bodied, often with blueberry and chocolate notes. Hunter Valley Shiraz is usually medium-bodied and more savory. On a label, GSM means a blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre, and Shiraz Cabernet is a long-standing Australian pairing.

Shiraz, syllable by syllable

Why Shiraz is hard to say

As a grape name, Shiraz is an English-language form, so English spelling rules apply. The letter z is the voiced sound of "zoo" and "jazz". Speakers of German or Italian tend to read z as ts, which is the rule in their own languages for names such as Zweigelt or Pfalz, but not here. Zinfandel follows the same English rule: its z buzzes too.

The stress falls on the second syllable, so the first vowel stays short and light, a quick "ih". The a is where accents differ. Australians use the flat a of "jazz", which is the form taught here. American dictionaries give a broader "ah", shih-RAHZ, and that form is just as widely understood.

Tips for saying it

How to order Shiraz

Say shih-RAZZ with the weight on the second beat and let the z ring. In the United States you will often hear shih-RAHZ with a broader a; both are understood everywhere. Use the name printed on the list: Shiraz for bottles that say Shiraz, Syrah for those that say Syrah. Naming a region helps the server narrow the style.

• “I'll have a glass of the Shiraz, please.” Two beats, ending on a buzzing z.
• “Do you have a Barossa Shiraz by the bottle?” Expect a full-bodied, dark-fruited red.

Names often confused with Shiraz

• Syrah (see-RAH): The same grape under its French name; the word is French, so the y is an "ee" and the final h is silent.
• Barossa Valley (bah-ROSS-ah VAL-ee): The South Australian region most closely tied to full-bodied Shiraz, and the name you will often see next to it on a label.
• McLaren Vale (muh-KLAIR-en VAYL): Another South Australian region where Shiraz is the signature red, usually with a blueberry and chocolate character.
• Grenache (greh-NAHSH): The G in a GSM blend, where it sits alongside Shiraz and Mourvèdre.

Questions about pronouncing Shiraz

How do you pronounce Shiraz?

Shiraz is pronounced shih-RAZZ. It has two beats with the stress on the second one. The first vowel is a short "ih", the a is the flat a of "jazz", and the final z is voiced, so it buzzes.

Is it shih-RAZZ or shih-RAHZ?

Both are heard. Australians, whose wines made the name familiar, say shih-RAZZ with the flat a of "jazz". American dictionaries list shih-RAHZ with a broader "ah". The stress and the buzzing z are the same in both, and either form is understood in any shop or restaurant.

Is the z in Shiraz pronounced like an s?

No. The z in Shiraz is a voiced z, as in "zoo" or "jazz". It is often heard as a hissed s or, from German speakers, as ts, but the English word ends on a buzz.

What is the difference between Shiraz and Syrah?

They are the same grape. Shiraz is the name used in Australia and on most South African bottles; Syrah is the French name, also used on most American labels. Producers elsewhere sometimes pick Shiraz for a riper, fuller style and Syrah for a more restrained one, but that is a convention, not a rule.

Does Shiraz wine come from the city of Shiraz in Iran?

No. The grape shares its name with the Iranian city, and legends link the two, but DNA testing shows that the variety descends from two French grapes, Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche. Its home is southeastern France.

Sources: Wine Australia: Shiraz, Wikipedia: Syrah, Dictionary.com: Shiraz. Last reviewed 2026-10-10.