Petite Sirah

[mrdutton]

Well now, I'm confused.

I just read that Syrah and Petite Syrah are basically the same grape. One has a somewhat larger berry than the other. Both are from the Rhone valley region of France. But then the article goes on to refute that statement saying that the "experts" reject the distinction between the Grosse Syrah and the Petite Syrah. It says that some in North and South America have further confused the latter with the californian plantings of Petite Sirah, "which produces a very dark red and tannic wine judged simple in comparison to the true Rhone Syrah."

Now just so you will help me become un-confused, let me post the information below. It was gleaned from www.stratsplace.com and comes from a database of wine grape types compiled by Anthony J. Hawkins:

SYRAH:
A grape variety associated with the Rhone Valley region of France, famous for creating "Hermitage" red wine. In southern France some regard the grape as taking two forms, the Grosse Syrah and Petite Syrah, distinguished only by berry size. Experts reject this distinction but it has in the past led some wine producers in North and South America to mistake plantings of the californian Petite Sirah, which produces a very dark red and tannic wine judged simple in comparison to the true Rhone Syrah, as the latter grape. DNA analysis has now shown - 8/1997 - there is in fact a probable relationship due to the chance seedling or selection, whose parentage derives from the Rhone region Peloursin and Syrah cultivars, discovered and named Durif in the 1880's. In the cooler regions of Australia a (presumed) clone of the Rhone variety, once known as the Scyras, is grown very successfully and now known as Shiraz. In the state of California, depending on location, vintage or fermentation technique, the grape is used to either produce a spicy, complex wine or a simple wine. Considerable acreage is grown in South Africa, and also in Argentina where it has historically been called the Balsamina grape until the late 1960's.

SHIRAZ:
Alternate name for the french Syrah clone grape grown in Australia and responsible for very big red wines that are not quite as intense in flavor as the french Rhone versions. In the past it was also known under the alias name Hermitage.

PETITE SIRAH:
Widely grown grape variety in California that a recent DNA analysis report, (9/1997), has shown as likely to be derived from the Peloursin and Syrah parent cultivars found in the Rhone region. Is a chance seedling or selection recorded in the early 1880's and subsequently named Durif in honor of the finder. Other grapes known to be present in some Petite Sirah vineyards are the Mondeuse and Trousseau. Traditional Californian blends under the name of Petite Sirah are also known to have contained a proportion of Barbera or Zinfandel grapewine. Suffice to say that, whatever the provenance of the grapevine(s) currently known as Petite Sirah, they produce dark red, tannic wines in the warmer regions of California, used mainly as backbone for Central Valley "jug" wines. In the cooler northern regions, where many very old vines still exist, it is often made into a robust, balanced red wine of considerable popularity.

PELOURSIN:
Almost extinct French red-wine grape recently identified as one of the varieties whose DNA is known to be present in the Petite Sirah grape(s) of California and part of some subject controversy.

DURIF:
(a.k.a Duriff, Dureza). Minor grape grown in France, California and Australia. A recent, (9/1997), DNA analysis report shows this variety likely to be a cross between Peloursin and Syrah. Is definitely one of the grapes known as the Petite Sirah variety extensively planted in California although other analysis has shown that in vineyards with the most reliable planting records it may only be one of three distinct varieties known collectively as "Petite Sirah". Also old plantings of Durif are currently (1997) found, and used to produce popular wine, in the Rutherglen (N.E Victoria) region of Australia. (For more information see "Petite Sirah" above).

Okay so please explain what is the difference between Sirah and Syrah and Petite Sirah. The only part that is really clear to me is that Shiraz is Australian for plantings of Syrah from France which could also be Petite Syrah if the berry is small and the experts don't intervene....... (but not Sirah, which does not seem to be a grape at all).

I get the impression that there are three grape varieties: Shiraz, Syrah and Petite Sirah but that there is no Sirah.

Another thing that is clear to me is that I thought the Australian Shiraz produced by Wyndham Estates (1997 BIN555) was too darn oaky.

[This message has been edited by mrdutton (edited 02-28-2000).]