Syrah, or Shiraz as it is called by the Australians and South Africans, is a grape capable of producing serious red wines that age majestically for decades. The vine is a good producer and is fairly disease resistant with the handy attributes of late budding but not too late ripening thus make frost damage less likely. Since the 1970s Syrah has gained massive popularity and is now Australia's major red grape. In New Zealand the area planted with Syrah has trebled since 2000 with Hawkes Bay producing some excellent wines.