Pinot Noir vs Shiraz: Things you may not know about these reds
There is no such thing as too much knowledge, especially when it comes to wines. And, those who know that a wine has a lot more to it than just gulping down a glass or two of it would agree to this for sure. Wine is a wholesome experience that begins as a feast for your eyes, proceeds to delight your nose, further followed by tantalising your taste buds and ends up stealing a piece of your heart. All in all, to understand the bottled poetry that the wine is, one must brush up on their knowledge now and then.
Red wines hands down are consumed more than their counterparts all over Australia. So, let’s pick two main reds, namely Pinot Noir and Shiraz, and know them in detail.
Pronunciation
First things first — before delving into their intricate details, let’s get acquainted with how to pronounce the names of these red wines right. The correct pronunciation of Pinot Noir is ‘pee-no nwar’ and that of Shiraz is ‘sha-razz’.
AKA (Also Known As)
It is widely known to most of the people that Shiraz is also known as Syrah. However, not many know that Pinot Noir also has a famous German name, Spätburgunder.
Origin of Wine
The origin of Pinot Noir is credited to the Burgundy region in France, while Shiraz owes its origin to the Rhône Valley in France.
Ideal Climate
Pinot Noir requires a cool climate to acquire the best traits, whereas Shiraz thrives in a temperate to a hot climate to become the best version of itself.
Best Australian Regions
Australia is dotted with wine regions galore, but the regions well-known to produce Pinot Noir include Tasmania, Mornington, Adelaide Hills, Geelong and Yarra. And the wine regions such as Hunter Valley, McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley and Central Victoria are the revered producers of Shiraz.
Winemaking Technique
The winemaking techniques for Pinot Noir are complex and varied, and all of the wines are matured in wood. Similarly, all Shiraz wines are also wood-matured.
Wine Body
While Pinot Noir is a light-bodied red wine and has alcohol content lower than 12.5%, Shiraz takes pride in being a full-bodied red and contains more than 13.5% of alcohol.
Wine Colour
Owing to its less viscosity, Pinot Noir is translucent in colour, whereas Shiraz flaunts opaque ruby colour because of its thickness.
Wine Nose
Aromas of strawberry, gamey, cherry, detritus and plum accompanied by herbaceous whiffs dominate the nose of Pinot Noir in comparison to Shiraz which releases earthy notes along with a bouquet of spice, pepper, fruitcake and plum to offer.
Wine Palate
Pinot Noir, with its lower tannins, leads to a palate full of cranberry, raspberry, strawberry, cherry, mushroom, vanilla and clove flavours while on the contrary, Shiraz is dominated by flavours of blueberry, blackberry, milk, plum, chocolate, green peppercorn, black pepper and tobacco leaving a richer mouthfeel.
Food Pairings
Although both of these reds have many food companions, the grub that truly brings out the flavours in Pinot Noir is Atlantic salmon, tuna with salmon in soy sauce, lighter red meats, earthy vegetables and herbs. When it comes to Shiraz, this bold wine can be enjoyed on its own, but it goes exceptionally well with pepper steak, grilled beef, roasted duck in red curry, lamb, BBQ ribs and burgers.
Best Drinking Time
Not every wine ages fine and this stands especially true with Pinot Noir; enjoy the wine while it’s still young because younger means fresher. In the case of Shiraz, wines from warmer regions are best to relish young. However, Shiraz from cooler regions calls for more than five years of ageing to manifest its benefits.
Wine Glass
It’s best to pour yourself some of the delicate Pinot Noir in a large globe-shaped glass which collects its floral aromas in the large round bowl. When it comes to Shiraz, however, go for a taller glass with a slight taper at the top to allow enough aeration to mellow its tannins.
Now that you’re acquainted with the intricacies of both these reds, the next time you hold a glass of any of these two and are ready to take a sip, you’re bound to appreciate the wine beyond its taste for sure.