I have been into knowing more about wine for over a year. I find the more I
try to discover, the more confusing it seems to be.

Simple question. How exactly does one pronounce (in the USA) "Shiraz?"

Somewhere along the line in the last year, I thought it was sher AS.
Waiters and waitresses seem to emphasize
Sher AHS. (I'm not even going to get into those who told me it was sher
AH...... which I've figured out was the confusion with Syrah......

Your assistance would be appreciated. I love the wine learning curve,
though I am not sure how to get to be more on "wise" wine side.

PattyC

The Aussies, who came up with the term, say sheer (like what you do to a sheep)
raz (rhymes with has). Or at least the winemakers I know from down under say
it that way.
Bob Foster, San Diego

Same goes here in the U.S. as far as I know.

"BFSON" > wrote in message
...
> The Aussies, who came up with the term, say sheer (like what you do to a
sheep)
> raz (rhymes with has). Or at least the winemakers I know from down under
say
> it that way.

That sounds about right to me, except it wasn't the Aussies who came up with
the name. Quite likely they don't pronounce it correctly either! Shiraz is
a city in Iran, and close to where wine originated. Ironic that it isn't
the local beverage there anymore, isn't it? :^(

BTW, Shiraz and Syrah are the same grape. I don't know why we spell and
pronounce it differently here in the US, but we do.

Tom S

"Tom S" > skrev i melding
om...
>
> "BFSON" > wrote in message
> ...
>
> That sounds about right to me, except it wasn't the Aussies who came up
with
> the name. Quite likely they don't pronounce it correctly either! Shiraz
is
> a city in Iran, and close to where wine originated. Ironic that it isn't
> the local beverage there anymore, isn't it? :^(
>
I once asked an Iranian colleague for the "right" pronounciation which
turned out to be close to the usual continental European "sheerahs".

Tom S wrote:

> That sounds about right to me, except it wasn't the Aussies who came up with
> the name. Quite likely they don't pronounce it correctly either! Shiraz is
> a city in Iran, and close to where wine originated. Ironic that it isn't
> the local beverage there anymore, isn't it? :^(

Tom,
You are correct that Shiraz (pronounced "Sheer-AHZ" as Anders said) is a
large city in S. Iran, there is no certainty that the Syrah/Shiraz grape has
any connection to it. It *is* true that there was a famous wine made in that
city prior to the ascendency of Islam, but research has established only that
it was a red wine. Meanwhile, the best genetic evidence suggests that the
Syrah cultivar was developed in France. The adoption of the name "Shiraz" for
the grape in Oz was likely just a matter of the similarity in names.

Mark Lipton

"Mark Lipton" > skrev i melding
...
>
> You are correct that Shiraz (pronounced "Sheer-AHZ" as Anders said)
I didn't :-) - your version is better, of course, pointing out the stressed
last syllable!
Anders

On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 21:39:38 GMT, "Anders Tørneskog"
> wrote:

>
>"Mark Lipton" > skrev i melding
...
>>
>> You are correct that Shiraz (pronounced "Sheer-AHZ" as Anders said)
>I didn't :-) - your version is better, of course, pointing out the stressed
>last syllable!
>Anders
>
Thank God, I've been pronouncing it correctly. What a load off my
mind. Now all I've got to deal with is Pouilly Fuisse.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8

If I may tiptoe in here for a bit. I thought we were heading in the right
direction earlier in the thread but now I've become a bit confused. If this
pronunciation means that the "AHZ" is pronounced like 'Oz' then I think
we're on the wrong track. The second syllable should rhyme with 'jazz' and
can be slightly emphasized, but definitely not a lot.

My business takes me to Oz a couple times a year and in direct and personal
contact with hundreds of Aussies, and every single one pronounces it the
same way - sh-'razz. Can 19 millions Aussies be wrong? Probably, but just
don't tell them that. They consider it THEIR wine.

Paul


"Mark Lipton" > wrote in message
...
>

> Tom,
> You are correct that Shiraz (pronounced "Sheer-AHZ" as Anders said)

> Mark Lipton
>

Mr Clean wrote:
> If I may tiptoe in here for a bit. I thought we were heading in the right
> direction earlier in the thread but now I've become a bit confused. If this
> pronunciation means that the "AHZ" is pronounced like 'Oz' then I think
> we're on the wrong track. The second syllable should rhyme with 'jazz' and
> can be slightly emphasized, but definitely not a lot.

You're correct in reference to the wine, but the city in Iran is
pronounced as I described. Sorry for the confusion!

Mark Lipton

"Mr Clean" > wrote in message
...
> If I may tiptoe in here for a bit. I thought we were heading in the right
> direction earlier in the thread but now I've become a bit confused. If
this
> pronunciation means that the "AHZ" is pronounced like 'Oz' then I think
> we're on the wrong track. The second syllable should rhyme with 'jazz' and
> can be slightly emphasized, but definitely not a lot.
>
> My business takes me to Oz a couple times a year and in direct and
personal
> contact with hundreds of Aussies, and every single one pronounces it the
> same way - sh-'razz.

Sounds like a local affectation; IOW, a regional accent. I can hear Paul
Hogan pronouncing it that way.

The Brits do something similar (but different) with "hot dog" e.g.,
pronouncing the Os as something between short and long vowels (hôt dôg). We
in the land of the hot dog know _that's_ not right! ;^D

> Can 19 millions Aussies be wrong?

Only in all the rest of the world. :^)

Tom S

As the person who started this thread, may I say this was fascinating? I am
tacking my comments (and yeah, top posting...) to this response because it
related to my thoughts.

I SWEAR I thought it was sher AZ as in jazz, but many in Pittsburgh, Pa seem
to try an AH me to death and imply I don't know what I am saying. I also am
wondering if 19 million Aussies might not know the way to say it? What I
have learned, and why I like learning about wine here, is that no one really
knows the right answer, so I can be more comfortable with my general lack of
knowledge....

PattyC


"Mr Clean" > wrote in message
...
> If I may tiptoe in here for a bit. I thought we were heading in the right
> direction earlier in the thread but now I've become a bit confused. If
this
> pronunciation means that the "AHZ" is pronounced like 'Oz' then I think
> we're on the wrong track. The second syllable should rhyme with 'jazz' and
> can be slightly emphasized, but definitely not a lot.
>
> My business takes me to Oz a couple times a year and in direct and
personal
> contact with hundreds of Aussies, and every single one pronounces it the
> same way - sh-'razz. Can 19 millions Aussies be wrong? Probably, but just
> don't tell them that. They consider it THEIR wine.
>
> Paul
>
>
> "Mark Lipton" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
>
> > Tom,
> > You are correct that Shiraz (pronounced "Sheer-AHZ" as Anders said)
>
> > Mark Lipton
> >
>
>