About Petite Sirah

  Last week was a look at the history of Petite Sirah in California, and specifically Sonoma County. Some of you don't know much, if anything, about PS so let's give enough info to make you want to go out and try one.

Petite Sirah in the wild

What is Petite Sirah?

  In the late 19th century, a French botanist named Durif crossed Syrah with an obscure grape to get what is called the Durif grape in France and some other parts of the world. In America, it got named Petite for the size of the grapes, definitely not for the flavor. And, yes, it's spelled Sirah, not Syrah.

  The tight grape clusters don't allow air to circulate, so mold is a problem. The grape thrives in warm, sunny, dry climates like California, Australia, Israel, Chile, Mexico. Only a small amount is grown in France because of the wetter climate.

  In California, where the vast majority of Petite Sirah is grown, it has a history of use as a red blending grape, often with Zinfandel. Up until the 1970s, it was almost always found in jug wine blends. Petite Sirah gave the blend color and tannins. 

  While California crushes about 3.5 million tons of wine grapes a year, only 90,000 of those are Petite Sirah. Sonoma County has over 60,000 acres of wine grapes, just 650 acres are PS. Lake County, Mendocino County, and Lodi in the Central Valley are the other main areas for Petite Sirah in the state. However, the number of wineries making PS are grown significantly in the last couple of decades, though that number is estimated to be only a few hundred. So there seems to be a resurgence in interest, at least partly due to newer winemaking techniques that soften those tannins.

What does Petite Sirah taste like?

  The color is dark, inky purple. Flavors are blue and black fruit (often plummy), pepper, and mocha. It's full-bodied with full flavors and tannins, meaning you should age or drink with the proper meal. Tannins can be bitter and astringent/mouth-drying. Many are made with softer tannins, so don't be afraid! 

What to eat with Petite Sirah?

  Rich, hearty, fatty dishes work well with PS. I always think of a hearty beef stew on a cold winter night. BBQ, most kinds of beef, and dishes that are peppery, including chili pepper. I mentioned fat because fat is the great equalizer of wine tannins.

One of the regulars
for Sonoma County Petite Sirah

Some Petite Sirah Wines from California

  Most of these wineries, but not all, are from Sonoma County. This is just a small sampling of the state's wineries making Petite Sirah.

• Bogle
• Carol Shelton
• Concannon
  
• Foppiano
• Fritz
• Jeff Runquist
• Parducci
• Pestoni
• Portalupi
• Preston
• Ridge/Lytton Springs
• Trentadue