Good news – you don’t have to stray from your favourite wine to try something different.

I have a friend who loves Indian food, but she only ever orders one curry from one particular takeaway. It has all the flavours she loves, the right ratio of sauce to chicken, and she loves that this restaurant's portion size means she has exactly the right amount to take in her lunchbox the next day. Recently, we were at another friend’s birthday dinner at a new Indian restaurant and when her go-to dish was served, it blew her mind. The point is, you can like what you like, but how do you know it’s the best if you don’t have anything to compare it to?

When it comes to wines, if you only ever reach for the one grape variety, there’s a literal world of choice to be explored within it. Wineries are experimenting with everything from how plants are fertilised to how the juice is fermented, and shiraz (AKA syrah) has particularly diverse styles to offer. Think of shiraz as the Timothée Chalamet of wine in terms of range. It can produce such a broad spectrum of characters while still retaining its crowd-pleasing charm. This versatility is largely due to how dramatically the grape responds to climate. It gets an elegant, easy-drinking remix in cooler climates (think restrained, smooth and higher acidity), and a big, bold edge in warmer climates (expect richer, fuller-bodied, more fruit-forward styles).

Originating in France (they’ve DNA-tested to prove it), shiraz is grown all over Europe, the US, South America and South Africa. In Australia, it’s a big deal everywhere, from the well-known shiraz regions of the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and the Hunter Valley to other amazing styles coming out of regions like Geelong, Canberra, Beechworth and Langhorne Creek, to name a few.

So, take a tour with us to find the next shiraz that will knock your socks off. These wines will remind you that it’s worth branching out every now and again. Live a little.

1. McLaren Vale, South Australia

Wirra Wirra Sparrow’s Lodge Shiraz

Here is a traditional McLaren Vale shiraz: lots of ripe juicy fruits, full-bodied but not OTT with structure from the tannins. It’s also got noticeable oak, giving it warm vanilla and coffee flavours, as well as a bit of spice. If you’re entertaining a shiraz drinker, or broadening your own horizons, this is a solid, reliable choice. Think of it as the labrador in a park of poodles.

$19.99 each

2. Barossa Valley, South Australia

Torbreck’s Woodcutter’s Shiraz

Wine like this is why people fall in love with Barossa shiraz. It’s rich, full-bodied and packed with dark fruit flavours like blackberry, plum and black cherry, but it doesn’t feel overcooked or heavy. There’s enough spice, pepper and structure to stop it turning into a fruit bomb, and the softer tannins and oak means it’s very drinkable. Despite being bigger bodied, everything about this wine makes it one for drinking, not collecting (although it will age well, too), and that’s something we find very attractive in a wine.

$28.95 each

Torbreck’s Woodcutter’s Shiraz is from the Barossa Valley

3. Adelaide Hills, South Australia

Shaw & Smith Shiraz

This is one of those modern shiraz styles that prioritises balance over power. Let’s call it the quiet-luxury shiraz. That’s not to say it doesn’t have guts. To sip, you get a rush of dark cherries, satsuma plum and blackberry, followed by that classic cracked black pepper note that makes good Australian shiraz so compelling. There’s spice, but it’s the reserved kind – star anise, clove and a little cedar. It’s got European energy to it, too, but still shows the sunshine and generosity that makes Aussie shiraz such a pleasure.

$56.99 each

4. Grampians, Victoria

Mount Langi Ghiran Cliff Edge Shiraz

Mount Langi Ghiran is one of the wineries redefining Australian shiraz. They built their reputation on cooler-climate styles that lean into pepper, spice and structure rather than bang. Cliff Edge is a great example of this signature style. You still get dark fruit and plenty of flavour, but the wine is more restrained than a typical Barossa or McLaren Vale shiraz. It feels modern without being trendy; polished, savoury and very, very likeable.

Member Offer

$25 eachNon-Member: $32.99 each

5. Yarra Valley, Victoria

Oakridge 864 Closed-Plant Block Syrah 2022

Oakridge is a benchmark producer in the Yarra Valley, known for precise, site-driven wines that show elegance and a restrained richness. The 864 range is their creme de la creme – small-batch, single-block wines made to highlight specific vineyard sites rather than a broad regional style. This wine is all about pepper, spice, florals and fine tannins, with red and black fruit sitting underneath rather than dominating. There’s concentration here, but it feels controlled and layered. This is a wine firmly in the modern, cool-climate syrah camp that’s medium-bodied, savoury and built around detail not power.

$89.99 each

6. Margaret River, Western Australia

Vasse Felix Syrah

Margaret River might be best known for cabernet, but this medium-weighted syrah flows across the palate and proves the region can do so much more. There’s a fresh, almost crunchiness to it, which is a big part of why you’ll pour another glass. There’s a strong savoury thread underneath with black pepper, spice, a little earthiness and some gentle oak influence (vanilla and light toast), but all the fruit is as it should be. This is a precise and elegant wine. Type A. Definitely.

Member Offer

$35 eachNon-Member: $37.99 each

7. Rhône Valley, France

Maison Les Alexandrins Crozes-Hermitage Rouge

This is shiraz in a different mode entirely. We’re talking cool, calm and, well, French. It’s medium-bodied, with red fruit upfront (cherry, raspberry, a bit of blackberry) that feels fresh. But the defining feature of this wine is its silky-smooth texture with vibrance. Southern Rhône is all about big, bold syrah, while the North strives for balanced complexity, and this is firmly the latter.

Member Offer

$45 eachNon-Member: $49.99 each

8. Central Otago, New Zealand

Mt Difficulty Ghost Town Syrah

New Zealand doesn’t get enough credit for syrah, and this wine is one of many worth a closer look. Grown in Central Otago, a region better known for pinot noir, it has all the spice and savoury detail you want from cool-climate syrah, but with a bit more wild energy. There’s blackcurrant, raspberry and dark berry flavours, but also cracked pepper, dried herbs and a slightly stony, mineral edge. Fine tannins give the wine shape without weighing it down, and there’s enough freshness running through it to keep everything feeling sharp and alive. Rugged, but could pull off black tie, you know?

$42 each