From the moment Max Schubert attempted to redefine the Australian wine industry with Penfold's Grange, the Shiraz grape has become synonymous with Australian wine.

Although its origins are deeply rooted within France's Rhone Valley, Australia as a nation has essentially redefined the grape.

Australian Shiraz throughout recent decades has been dominated stylistically by producers from South Australia, most notably the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale.

Not without good cause either, tremendously powerful wines, with incredible longevity and depth have won these wines praise the world over.

Shiraz from Orange however is often described as elegant and feminine as opposed to their broodish cousins from the warmer regions you can find from across other parts of Australia.

Slower ripening from the cooler climate leads to a very gentle fruit flavour development, with wonderful intensity and deep complexity.

These slightly softer style wines tend to be lower in alcohol and often much more food friendly.

The following is a list of must try Shiraz from some of Orange's leading producers as well as some of the red hot up and coming producers.

Matt Eades is a relatively newcomer to the Orange Wine Region, originating from Victoria's celebrated Beechworth region.

Amour Wines has already made an impressive splash on the local wine scene with wonderful reviews coming from the likes of James Halliday, cementing their place in the region.

Amour's Shiraz leans towards darker fruit and richer style than most Orange wineries will display but still manages to embrace the regions elegant style.

DAVID COLLINS TO WRITE FORTNIGHTLY WINE COLUMN

Matthew Attalah grew up in the Hunter Valley and started learning wine making practices at an early age at his father's boutique winery.

From there his passion for wine making grew and has lead him to many of Australia's great wine regions in the pursuit of excellent and knowledge.

In 2012 he and his family chose Orange to settle and have never looked back.

Matthew Attalah chooses to label his expression as Syrah as opposed to Shiraz.

This is an obvious nod to Northern Rhone, France and the regions of Hermitage and St. Joseph in particular, regions that Matthew has become obsessed with.

Sourced from the prestigious Balmoral Vineyard, this Shiraz shows wonderful depth of juicy fruit, slight pepper, with fine silky tannins.

Another newcomer to Orange, Nashdale Lane is owned by Nick and Tanya Segger, who have taken almost two decades to realise their dream of owning a vineyard.

What they have created though is so much more.

With brilliant branding, 'glamping' facilities and a 60-year-old apple packing shed that has been totally reimagined into a stunning cellar door, their dream has come to fruition in spectacular fashion.

Their Shiraz has wonderful focus of bright red fruits with a wonderful hint of spice.

Perhaps more than any other of Terry Dolle's wines, the 1397 Shiraz Viognier has been perhaps the most important.

It has been a centerpiece in showing Australia the potential of Orange Shiraz.

Stylistically it is reminiscent of the wines from the very north of the Rhone Valley in Cte-Rtie, where a small percentage of the Viognier grape is blended with the Shiraz.

This creates a wonderfully aromatic red wine, with lifted violet notes, complementing bright raspberry and cherry fruit on the palate

Ross Hill's range of Pinnacle Series wines have slowly garnered a reputation of not just quality but a certain level of prestige about them as well.

Even though these wines have found their way onto many of Sydney's and even Melbourne's high end restaurants, Ross Hill has not lost sight on their grassroots ideals.

Both the Barrel and Larder School of Wine and Food and a dedication to carbon neutral wine production have shown a dedication to education and long term commitment to the environment.

The Pinnacle Shiraz shows wonderful white peppery and herbal notes on the nose with darker red fruits present on the palate.