Petite Sirah (佩蒂席拉)
Petite Sirah
Wine Style:
Plum & blackberry flavors mark this deep, ruby colored wine. Usually full-bodied with chewy tannins.
Flavors:
Origin:
Rhone in France
Found:
California, and Victoria in Australia.
Petite Sirah = Durif: a grape variety for red wine, developed in the late 19th century by a dr. Durif. It was believed it was originally planted in France in the regions Ardeche and Isere, where we today won’t find it any more.
The petite sirah grape is separate from the sirah / shiraz grape even though the names are similar. The petite sirah grape is descended from the Duriff Rhone grape of France. For most of its history, petite sirah was only used to blend into other wines. The grape gained a lot of attention in the 1970s because of the general red wine push, and because of its full, tannic taste.
Petite Sirah is predominantly planted in California, where it does well. Petites are anything but petite - they tend to be big, strong, muscular, and, well, purple.
Typical flavors include plum, raspberry, blackberries, and black pepper. The wine tends to go well with stronger meats - game, beef, lamb, and spicy sauces. Petite Sirah can be drunk fresh from the bottle or aged for a mellower flavor - its high tannin content makes long aging worthwhile.
Further Reading:
Appellation America
Cellar Notes
Epicurious
Wine Pros
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