Tesco Finest W.O. Swartland Shiraz 2012 (South Africa)

Nose:  Cherries, dark berries, with definite oakiness.

Taste: Like a dark berry fizz. It's hard to pinpoint.

Finish:  Somewhat bitter.  Medium tannins that don't last particularly long.

What we say:  S - "I smell a little bit of gym sock" V - "I think it's a hint of cough syrup."  "Oh, I spilled it a bit.  I hope I didn't spill it on my thesis.  Can you imagine if I came into the viva with wine stains on my thesis?'  V - "The mouth feel is really liquidy."  S - "I don't think it feels as thin as other watery wines.  Do you think there's something bubbly to it, almost prickly?"  V - "The finish almost stays on your tongue" S - "Yeah, like you can scrape it off.  Like moss in a forest."

What they say:  Spicy, packed with dark cherry and bramble fruits.  A hint of vanilla and a smooth, elegant style.

Rating: 5.5 (S - 6; V - 5)

Price:  £6.99

The Black Pig Shiraz 2010 (Australia)

Nose:  Both berry and oak, maybe with some cinnamon or cloves?  A bit of sweetness, and definitely something spicy.

Taste:  Fruity with spiciness and a bit of oak.  But still dry.

Finish:  Pretty smooth, a small hit of tannins.

What we say:  S - 'Smells like pig... hehehehe.... just joking.'  V - 'The nose is pretty balanced between the fruitiness and the oakiness.  There's also something somewhat bakey about it.'  S - 'It is sort of bakey - almost like you could eat some raw dough.'  'I think my taste buds are failing me...'  V - 'Wow, that's pretty f*cking well balanced.'

What they say: Compared their wine to their pigs, but they clearly love their pigs....

Rating: 8

Price: £10.99

Beneficio McLaren Vale Shiraz 2010 (Australia)

Nose:  Juicy and reasonably oaky, overall medium.

Taste:  Very berry, possibly dark cherries, pretty dry through.  Relatively heavy.

Finish:  Quite bitter - some serious and long lasting tannins.

What we say:  V - 'I'm just getting a whole pile of oak, the nose is quite dry.'  S - 'The tannins are sticking on the roof of my mouth'  'It feels kind of French to me - heavy and tanniny.'  V - 'Except better than the French wine we've had.'  'It's pretty drinkable, but not particularly remarkable.'

What they say:  Elegant and balance in weight with structured velvet tannins, underpinned by dark berry fruit, liquorice and hues of cassis.

Rating:  6

Price:  £17.99

Six Hats Shiraz 2010 (South Africa)

Nose: sweet; berries - black currant? A bit of woodiness to it as well.

Taste: Dry; a bit of sweetness or berriness to it, but it's dry and gets kind of tart.

Finish: Super powerful finish.

What we say: V- 'It smells a little like the one you (S) thought was like cheese.' V - 'We've had something similar before. It isn't as strong as the other stuff, though, which was more pronounced.' S - 'It's like jam almost.' S - 'Packs a powerful punch...'  - V- '...that you don't even see coming.' V - 'It's like the berries unripen in your mouth.'

What they say: Aromas of cracked pepper, spice and juicy red fruit flavours combined with a rich texture.

Rating: 4.5 (S=4; V=5)

Star & Vine Shiraz 2010 (USA)

Nose:  Sweet, maybe syrupy.  Nutmeg or cloves - smells like Christmas - maybe lingonberry?

Taste:  Remarkably close to the nose - spicy or lingonberry.

Finish:  Smooth - not really different from the taste.

What we say:  S - "It's interesting, because it has some sweetness, but only slightly.  I feel like I know this flavour - that we've had it before, but I can't place it"  "It's certainly good and unique, but maybe not something you would want to drink all evening."

What they say:  Rich and full, with ample briar-fruit.  A lingering finish with luscious vanilla-edged hints.

Rating:  7

Tronos Shiraz Reserva 2010 (Chile)

Nose: Strong smell - pretty aromatic.  Could smell it even before we poured it into the glass.  Sharp, definitely not berries.

Taste: Quite nice at first, maybe cloves or something similar?  S thinks it's floral.

Finish: Good lingering finish that's pleasant.

What they say: Aromas of blackberries, chocolate and vanilla. Full bodied aromatic wine with a long-lasting finish.

What we say: V - "Velvety from the taste all the way down. This is definitely the best we've had so far. This is a wine I'd buy again."

Rating: 6.5 (V - 6; S - 7)