Zion Winery Shiraz

This Shabbat, we are featuring one of Israel’s “Best Value” wines, the 2022 Shiraz from Zion Winery. If you are confused by the concept of Syrah and Shiraz, here is a simple way to look at it. Syrah is the name of the grape that hails from the Rhone Valley in France. The story that the grape originated in Persia, has been proven false by DNA testing. Syrah is and always has been a true French varietal. It was however brought to Australia in the mid 1800’s, and when taken off the ship was called Shiraz. The grape did well in Australia due to its warm dry climate and over time the name, “Syrah”, came to signify Old World (French) vs. “Shiraz”, signifying New World (Australian, US, Israel).  

Although the grape is the same, there are some differences in taste which are generally a reflection of climate. Yes, Australia is hot and France not as much so, and this determines the bulk of the difference. Warm weather makes grapes ripen faster and develop more sugar, which is why they are higher in alcohol. It is also why the wine tastes fruitier.

Israeli wineries cultivate grapes from both French and Australian clones with the wines labeled to reflect this: Syrah (French clones), Shiraz (Australian clones). Zion Winery chose to produce Shiraz as it does well in their vineyards in the Galilee and Judean Hills. 

The Zion Shiraz is fruit forward, spicy, bold, rich in color, and has a pretty high alcohol level. It is bottled as an “Estate Wine” making it mid-premium; offering good quality at good value. It received “BEST VALUE” at the Israel Wine Awards in “2024” for this vintage. 

So make your Shabbat special by adding this special wine to your dinner or lunch. I picked up my bottle at the Shop Rite in Cherry Hill, NJ, and I have seen it at Columbus Avenue Wine Shop.

Online, kosherwine.com carries some of the Zion wines, and we were told by our friends in Israel in the coming weeks we should be seeing more. Due to the shipping challenges, there are delays.

For more information on the history of the Zion Winery, check out the blog post from Jan. 22, 2024.