Are Syrah wines sweet?

[grapenut]

I have a bottle of Syrah and do not want to open it until I find out if it's a sweet wine or not? Being new to the wine tasting experience, I am unsure if Syrah wines are similiar in taste to Shiraz?

[Innkeeper]

Hi G.N., and welcome to the Wine Board. Almost all syrah/shiraz I know of are vintified dry. Some of them taste "sweet" because of an abundance of "upfront fruit." If you can get an approachable recent vintage of Central Coast California or Northwestern Syrah, it may taste "sweeter" to you than Australian Shiraz. If you can give us the vintage and producer of what you've got, we may be able to answer your question more precisely.

[winoweenie]

Hi GN and add my welcome. To expand on IKs' answer, the grapes used to make both Shiraz and Syrah are the same.The Aussies can't spell very well. WW