A rich, red wine of intense blackcurrant flavors, with a characteristic whiff of pepper and smoke, Shiraz has long been Australia's favorite red grape.  The Aussies plant and drink more Shiraz than any other wine grape. Now Americans have been seduced by the charm of this spicy red wine, which pairs beautifully with that other Australian favorite, lamb, as well as barbecued meats and other hearty foods.

Unprecedented US Growth

Shiraz is the fastest-growing red wine variety in the US, with sales in the last year doubling over 2000, according to MKF Associates, a wine industry consulting group. US wineries are pulling out has-been varietals and rushing to plant new Shiraz vineyards to catch the trend.

In the last 10 years alone, Americans planted 10,000 acres of Shiraz grapes, compared with only 344 acres in 1990, according to Wine Enthusiast magazine.

US Shiraz Comes Into Its Own

"Americans love the concentrated fruit and smoothness of Shiraz," comments Daryl Groom, winemaker at Sonoma County's Geyser Peak Winery and a pioneer of American Shiraz. In Groom's opinion, the American Shiraz craze is an outgrowth of the Merlot phenomenon: "The Merlot craze woke a lot of Americans up to the fact that there is a whole world of wines out there beyond Cabernet Sauvignon.  Now, those Merlot drinkers are ready for a California wine that's approachable, but that also has character, smoothness and a little spice. Shiraz is that wine." Aussie-born Groom came to Geyser Peak from Penfolds in 1989, where he was senior red winemaker and responsible for Grange. Geyser Peak was the first winery in the US to bottle wine under the Shiraz name.

"Shiraz is huge in Australia," says Groom. "People drink it a lot in the summertime, when it's hot outside but you want a red wine with your meat." Judging by Americans' seeming infatuation with everything else from Down Under, we just might find California Shiraz on trendy wine lists sometime soon.

In the meantime, Groom recommends California Shiraz for everything from grilled and barbecued meats to beef, game, lamb and stew, all year long.  "Anything with a bit of smoke and spice is perfect with Shiraz," says Groom.