October 18, 2004

Petite Sirah / Durif

Pronounced [peh-TEET sih-RAH]

From the International Wine of the Month Club

Petite Sirah has long been favored a s a blending grape in France and California, where it offers otherwise simple, light-colored wines greater color, depth, intensity, and tannin. Petite Sirah is actually related to Durif, a minor French varietal, and is not a true Syrah. As tastes change, Petite Sirah, with its ripe berry flavors and crisp, chewy tannins, has begun to fall out of favor. Moreover, the dense, inky examples of Petite Sirah that show so much promise early in their lives fail more often than not to improve with age, only becoming more tannic and earthy.

As a supporting player, the Petite Sirah grape often shines with Zinfandel.

From WikiPedia

Durif (or Dufiff) is a minor variety of grape grown in France, California and Australia. A recent, (9/1997), DNA analysis report shows this variety likely to be a cross between Peloursin and Syrah. It is definitely one of the grapes known as the Petite Sirah variety extensively planted in California, although other analysis has shown that in vineyards with the most reliable planting records it may only be one of three distinct varieties known collectively as "Petite Sirah". Also old plantings of Durif are currently (1997) found, and used to produce popular wine, in the Rutherglen (N.E Victoria) region of Australia.

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