Australian Wines Outshines French Competitors at a Prestigious Global Competition Dedicated to Syrah

London, 18 July 2024 – Australian wines stood out as the big winners of a recent blind-tasting competition in London evaluating Syrah / Shiraz wines from all over the world. 

The Global Syrah Masters, part of the annual series of competitions organised by industry-leading publication the drinks business, was open to any Syrah in the world, either as a varietal or a blend with at least 50% of  Syrah and saw Australian wines achieving stellar results across various categories, reaffirming their quality, diversity, and exceptional value.

The eight expert judges, including five Masters of Wine and a Master Sommelier, tasted all entries blind and awarded medals from Bronze to Gold, as well as the prestigious title of Master for exceptional examples.

The judges were highly impressed with Australian entries, and chair of judges Patricia Stefanowicz MW, described them as “mouthwatering, with brambles, blueberry and sometimes ripe plum or other red fruits, accented by signature notes of black pepper”, celebrating the wines’ “sophistication and grace”. Entries from Down Under won 50% of the medals, achieving an exceptional performance across regions, from the juicy profiles of Barossa Valley wines to the refined elegance of Clare Valley and the mint-touched complexity of Coonawarra.

Australian Shiraz also demonstrated fantastic value, particularly in the under-£10 price bracket, offering quality that rivals much higher-priced counterparts.
The £10-£15 and £15-£20 categories also showcased impressive entries (for instance from Dandelion Vineyards, Taylors Wakefield Wines and Heirloom Vineyards), but it was the £30-£50 range where Australian Shiraz truly excelled, providing wonderful wines at realistic prices where other varieties often struggle, such as Yangarra Estate Shiraz.

The highest achievement, the Master medal, was awarded to only eight wines, with seven of them going to Australian wineries, after tasting over 100 wines from every corner of the globe.

The competition also acknowledged outstanding wines from other parts of the world, including New Zealand’s Hawke’s Bay, South Africa (which won a Master medal), Greece, France and Chile.

For a full list of winners and detailed judges’ analysis, please visit: https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2024/07/medallists-global-syrah-masters-2024/

Australian Gold and Master medal winners listed overleaf:

About The Global Wine Masters Competitions
The Global Wine Masters have rewarded excellence in winemaking since 2013, helping quality brands to stand out and consumers to drink with confidence. Through its unique structure – defining categories by grape variety or style rather than region – the competition series lets the finest wines in the world compete against each other. Every competition is judged by the very best palates in the world: Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers and senior buyers.

The Global Wine Masters award wines with Bronze, Silver and Gold medals, and Master medals for the very best entries:

Bronze (85-88): A well-made wine that qualifies for our seal of approval. This wine is enjoyable and meets customer expectations.

Silver (89-92): A high-quality wine that clearly demonstrates good winemaking while serving as a strong example of its style, source or dominant grape.

Gold (93-96): A brilliant wine that is a benchmark for its type. This wine has lasting appeal and shows great balance, complexity and intensity.

Master (97-100): An outstanding example of its type, showing impeccable winemaking. This wine delights for its wonderful texture, perfect balance and broad range of delicious, persistent flavours.

The results of each competition are published in the drinks business magazine and website (circulation of 13,000 print copies and 1.9 million webpage visits per month). This large reach guarantees that entrants’ medal wins are visible to a truly international and industry-focused audience.