We'd like to clear this up once and for all: the Shiraz grape is genetically identical to Syrah. Australian winemakers put "Shiraz" on the map (and, many would argue, vice versa), and the term is now used throughout much of the New World. Let it never be said, however, that Shiraz and Syrah are the same thing: the region in which the grape is grown determines much about the flavor of the wine it will produce. Typically, New World Shiraz yields bigger, fruitier wines than the the peppery Syrahs produced in the cool climates of the Rhône Valley.