I really only learned about Shiraz a few years ago, and very soon, it was on my list of favorite wines. Back then, we got the occasional bottle in our stash from an international wine club or now and then found it on the shelf in a local liquor store, but I rarely found it at the grocery store.

Times have changed, though, and now shiraz, the good, the bad, and the ugly, is all over the place. So, how can you be selective now when it comes to this wine that is no longer hard to find? This article from Times Herald.com has some ideas:

[N]ow there's a vast selection of inexpensive Australian shiraz, some of it wonderful, some of it the victim of overproduction. So we asked our wine experts for some help navigating the shiraz aisle in our search for good Australian shiraz under $20.

"It is no surprise that shiraz has become the go-to grape of many winemakers as well as retailers, and that has vaulted the category from 'alternative red' to mainstream mega-category," says John-Louis Kronfeld of Star Wines and Liquors. "While syrah (the classical pronunciation) had already achieved legendary status from the vineyards of the Northern Rhone, it is shiraz (both pronunciation and marketing) that revolutionized the way we view this classic varietal."

Typically, Kronfeld explains, shiraz from Australia has "a rich, fruit-forward profile, juicy acidity and big velvety tannins that tend to give even low-end wines 'blockbuster' personalities."

At the same time, "bulk" shiraz can be very disappointing. Luckily, he says, "going budget doesn't mean you have to get these manufactured shirazes."

Kronfeld says a Star favorite has been Jim Barry Lodge Hill Shiraz ($15.99). "With hints of eucalyptus complementing an intense nose of black fruit jam, it packs a punch with a full body and a smooth finish," Kronfeld says.

Other notables, Kronfeld says, include Charles Cimicky Barossa Valley Shiraz ($17.99).

"Ripe and cherry-laden with a full palate-coating mouth-feel and peppery tannins that shout lots of black and red fruit on the juicy finish," he says.

For less than $10, Kronfeld likes Woop Woop Shiraz, "a perfect example of how good-value shirazes are produced. Woop Woop is actually produced by using a small vineyard in Currency Creek and blending it with finished wine that they buy from neighboring Penny's Hill, which limits the production of its own wines by only using the best lots for its estate wine and selling off the excess."

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