Petite Sirah; Petite Syrah

[peh-TEET sih-RAH] Grown mainly in California, this red wine grape produces a big, robust and peppery wine. Although not as popular as California's cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir or zinfandel, Petite Sirah has a following among those who like big, full-bodied wines. The Petite Sirah grape is also used as a blending grape to give a little more zest and complexity to other red wines. This varietal is also spelled Petit Syrah and Petit Sirah.

[peh-TEET sih-RAH; peh-TEET see-RAH] 1. Grown mainly in California, this red-wine grape was initially thought to be related to the renowned syrah of France's rhône region. Then the belief shifted-Petite Sirah was not related to Syrah; it was actually a variety called durif, which was also grown in the Rhône but is now almost extinct. However, in the late 1990s, DNA analysis indicated that Durif was in fact a cross between Syrah and a variety called Peloursin-so the original perception that Petite Sirah was related to Syrah is once again viewed as true. To further complicate matters, it was also discovered that while a majority of the Petite Sirah plantings in California are Durif, a few are actually Peloursin. Add to this confusion the fact that Petite Sirah was mentioned as early as the 1880s in California, just as Durif was beginning to be propogated. All of which leads to the suspicion that Petite Sirah may not actually have been a true Durif at the time. Over the years various vines thought to be Petite Sirah have turned out to actually be different varieties including true Syrah, carignane, mourvèdre and grenache. True Petite Sirah grapes produce deep-colored, robust peppery wine that packs plenty of tannin giving it good aging ability. While Petit Sirah may not be as popular as cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir or zinfandel and enjoys wider esteem in California than in France, it has a following among those who like big, full-bodied wines. Although Petit Sirah was in vogue during the 1970s (and is currently enjoying renewed interest), its diminished popularity during the century's last two decades produced a decline in the acreage devoted to it. In addition to being bottled as a varietal wine, Petite Sirah is often blended with other varietals (zinfandel, for example) to add zest and complexity. It is also planted in argentina, brazil and mexico. Petite Sirah is sometimes spelled Petite Syrah or Petit Sirah 2. The term "Petite Syrah" is also used by some French producers for a small-berried version of Syrah.