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Petit Sirah / Petite Sirah / Petit Syrah / Petite Syrah - It's all the same

Petite Sirah is a grape whose origins and the spelling of its name have been a subject of conversation.  We now know that most of the Petite Sirah in California is actually a grape called Durif with most of the rest being Peloursin.  The Durif grape was developed in France in the late 1800s by Dr. Durif by crossing Syrah and Peloursin. Over time since the Syrah grape was brought from the Rhone River Valley of France in about 1870 and called Petite Sirah, the Petite Sirah name has become almost a catch-all name for old red grape vines in California that were not otherwise identifiable. It is only since we have been able to use DNA testing to properly identify grape varieties that we have been able to unravel the mystery of Petite Sirah

The Petite Sirah grape grows in very tight bunches and is susceptible to rot.  In growing regions without much rainfall (like California) this does not represent a problem.  In areas with rain during the growing season, it practically disqualifies the grape. Under the right conditions, Petit Sirah can make strong red wines with peppery flavors. Please go to our page on Durif to get much more information about Durif/Petite Sirah.