Archeologists have discovered sites of large-scale winemaking going back eons, the oldest from about 8,000 years ago near the southern Iranian city of Shiraz. This place gave birth to an ancient red grape that the French call syrah, but never on a wine label.

If you're looking for the very best syrah, you'll have to scout around the Rhone Valley in the south of France for pricey items with famous names like Hermitage, Cote-Rotie, Cornas, and St. Joseph that hover around the $30 range and top out at way over $100. For delicious bargain syrah, however, look to Australia, where they call their version shiraz after the old Old World grape.

Just as it originally flourished in the hot sun of southern Europe, shiraz has found a happy home baking through the even hotter Australian summers. The wine it produces is a world-wide favorite, full of pepper and spice and deep dark fruit. There are a couple of different personalities of shiraz. In general, they are smooth and velvety but strong and high in flavor and alcohol.

Shiraz from the Barossa Valley near Adelaide is dense and rich with great intensity and concentration. At the top of the shiraz world is the stellar Grange, formerly known as Grange Hermitage with a price tag that rivals real Hermitage. Other excellent producers are Henschke, Hill of Content, McGuigan Brothers, and Tatachilla, although there are really too many good versions of this grape to list.

Rosemount Shiraz (literally available everywhere in New England for around $9) is a real tribute to what syrah has become in its adopted home: dark, rich, chocolatey and cheap, although Rosemount sells a yummy shiraz at practically every price-point all the way up to $50 and beyond. Serve it with every kind of red meat from lamb and steak to salmon and tuna.

Here's an off-the-beaten-path tip: mash one part unsalted butter with one part Roquefort blue cheese, spread it all over a piece or crusty French bread, serve with a glass of the Rosemount, and you'll be giving the downunder the thumbs up!