Syrah, Shiraz, Durif and Petite Sirah.
All related grapes. Two cousins, one parent and one off-spring to be exact. This tricky grape variety family tree tells a fascinating story of an underappreciated, yet spectacular wine: Petite Sirah.
Our story begins at the end of the First Crusade. Out of the misty depths of the Moorish East, a war-weary solider returns to his family vineyard in France. Here, at a chapel on top of the hill named Hermitage, our nameless Hero plants a singular, modest vine – Syrah. The vine is successful, and Hermitage becomes the birthplace of Syrah.*
The vintages roll on and by the 19th century we find Syrah on two separate world-wide journeys. First, James Busby imports Syrah, then known as Scyras, into Sydney, Australia. Spreading across New South Wales its name is simplified to the Aussie pronunciation of “Shure-as”, or Shiraz. Second, Dr. Durif, a practicing viticulturist in France, attempts to develop a grape resistant to the ravages of Downey Mildew. He crosses Syrah with the obscure grape Peloursin and names the child after himself: Durif the grape.
Durif (the grape, not the man) makes big, inky, dark wine. Deciding that Durif is just too darn macho the French authorities ultimately ban it. However, by this point, Durif has immigrated to the land of opportunity – America, and into the hands of Italian immigrants, quick to turn its virile characteristics into bold drinking wine.
Maybe the early Italian immigrant farmers just didn’t know how to pronounce its name, or maybe they thought it too coarse for something that makes such beautiful wine, but by the time Durif makes it to California its name has changed to Petite Sirah. And Petite Sirah is ideally matched to California sunshine, as Pennywise Petite fully shows.
Just by looking at a glass you can tell this is truly a robust wine – its color is as dark and inky black as a starless night sky. Petite Sirah has one advantage over every other grape in California; it soaks up the California sunshine and turns it into powerful wine that tastes of fresh baked blueberry cobbler, figs, blackberries and raspberry jam without losing its power and structure. In Pennywise supple, fine grain tannins support its richness adding a lingering note of cinnamon latte and caramel to its soft, lingering finish.
But best of all, Pennywise is exactly as its name describes – deliciously affordable!
2009 Pennywise Petite Sirah
Suggested List Price: $12.99
Sale Price: $9.99
We will be tasting this wine Friday along with a selection of five other wines. Stop in and join us!
All orders must be secured with a name, credit card number, and phone number. All orders will be available at the time of purchase.
When the wine is ordered your credit card will be charged. The wine will be held in climate controlled conditions until you are ready to pick it up, free of charge. Offer is good while supplies last.
Ben Christiansen wrote this article and Tim Hansen edited it.
Bottled tag: dark, dense and robust Petite Sirah. Serve with boldly flavored braised, grilled or roasted red meats. Drink now until 2014.
*Actually, this part of the story is complete French malarkey. The most recent research indicates Syrah is probably a spontaneous crossing Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche. But this version is far more romantic.
It would be great to have Pennywise as a member of PS I Love You.