Differencebetween Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. The origins of the two vines are different, and although they have similar preferences in terms of climate, their preferred habitats are different: Syrah or Shiraz excels in the Rhône Valley and Australia, while Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux and the United States. Red wines made of Itsgrapes are slightly smaller than average, with a dark skin and a red-purple color in the glass. Syrah wines have moderately high tannins and moderate acidity. Compared to Syrah, Petite Sirah grapes are quite small, and are deeper in color. They produce a dark purple, tooth-staining wine with bold tannins and acidity. Merlotis less acidic, so it should feel slightly softer. Cabernet Sauvignon is slightly more vigorous, and its acidity and bitterness are more obvious, and longer lasting, than Merlot. The best way to tell the difference is to take a mouthful of each and try to taste which wine is more robust and bitter in the mouth. Therelationship between grape composition and subsequent red wine ester profile was examined. Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, from the same Australian very warm climate vineyard, were harvested at two different stages of maturity and triplicate wines were vinified. Grape analyses focused on nitrogen and lipid composition by measuring 18 amino acids by HPLC-FLD, 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids TheMajor Differences Between Cabernet vs Shiraz. Cabernet is dry, but it is still a little sweeter than Shiraz. It is fruity, tasting of blackberries, raspberries, and redcurrants. You might also get hints of cassis and mint. Cassis is a sweet red liqueur made from blackcurrants. Shiraz has jammy notes and tastes of blueberries and blackcurrants. BestAnswer. Copy. They are different cultivars of grape. Cabernet Sauvignon is a hybrid formed centuries ago in Bordeaux by the cross pollination of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Zinfandel Thewine is one of the "driest" red varieties, topped only by a few types such as Sangiovese and Tempranillo. Similar to Merlot, the ABV of Cabernet Sauvignon is usually around 14 percent, with warmer climates producing wines around 15 percent. In general, Cabernet has a darker, deeper hue than Merlot. Thesimple answer is that Shiraz tends to be bolder, with less residual sugar and higher alcohol content. Shiraz tends to be more full-bodied with higher tannins and a powerful flavor. Merlot on the other hand is medium-bodied with lighter flavor notes, such as cooked fruits and currant. But there are many other differences between Shiraz vs eg. Syrah, Malbec, Mourvèdre, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Old Red Wine. When a red wine is far past its prime it will be a dull brown color. Many wines will last 20 years or more without showing much color change. Merlot and Nebbiolo stain orange earlier than other types of wine. Often these wines have less acidity and use oak aging to add Merlotis a grape that is soft and fleshy, early ripening makes it popular for blending with later ripening cabernet sauvigno n grape. There is one variety so the wine made is called Varietal and named after the grape with a capital letter. Shiraz is a variety of grape, used mainly to blend with other varieties when very ripe. oxIchr.