This past week while hanging out with friends, I was introduced to a wine that I had not tried before called Nugan Estate Manuka Grove Vineyard, Durif. While the vintage that I tasted might have seen better days, I was nonetheless intrigued by the wine and off I went to do some research.

Durif aka Petite Sirah

Durif is a black-skinned grape variety, with Petite Sirah being its North and South American name. In the rest of the world it is generally known as Durif, named after its discoverer/creator, a French nurseryman, Dr Francois Durif. In the late 1800s Durif was trying to inbreed natural resistance to powdery mildew. It was theorised, and later confirmed, that the Durif grape is a cross between Peloursin, another unheralded variety, and Syrah. Unfortunately, the quality of the wine produced by the grapes did not inspire widespread adoption in France. The Durif grapes were introduced to California in 1884 where it (and unfortunately a few other varietals) was called Petite Sirah. DNA technology in the 1990s eventually cleared up which vines were true Petite Sirah (Durif) and which were not. I have attended events where I have heard that its name implies it may be a lighter version of Syrah, but this is not the case. It is sometimes incorrectly spelt as “Petite Syrah”. The “petite” in the name of this grape refers to the size of its berries, definitely not the taste.

California Petite Sirah today

My research indicates that plantings of the grape are back on the rise. Forty years ago, about 14,000 acres of California vineyard land was planted with Petite Sirah, but then it began to fall out of favour, dwindling to 2,400 acres over the next 20 years. A decade ago the total was 7,265 acres. Today it’s at around 10,000 acres; do you see the trend?

I first fell in love with Petite Sirah many years ago when I tasted Bogle’s offering (now available in Jamaica). When patrons came into our wine bar and asked for Cabernet Sauvignon, I often suggested that they try the Bogle Petite Sirah, and they were never disappointed. I believe that great Petite Sirah can stand up with the best Cabernet Sauvignons any day. If this grape could be any TV personality it would probably be comedian Rodney Dangerfield saying, “I don’t get no respect”, as many winemakers don’t even acknowledge it as one of the varietals in their blend. Legally it can constitute up to 25 per cent of the wine, with no open acknowledgement whatsoever that it is making a major contribution to the wine. A number of producers are changing that practice. Many of the very popular blends do have some Petite Sirah listed, other products like Stags’ Leap, Bogle and Michael David Winery, all available here, are making Petite Sirah much more prominent either as single varietals or as a major blend.

“Petite Sirah from California offers inky black colours, bold flavours and tannins to match. It has the ability to be expressive when bottled on its own, can add structure and colour to red blends, and has a reputation for aging well” suggests Wine Spectators’ MaryAnn Worobiec in her article ‘Against All Odds – Despite challenges, California Petite Sirah is gaining acreage and winning fans’.

Look for it and try it.

Discover Petite Sirah in Ménage à Trois Midnight Dark Red Blend, Cupcake Red Velvet, Motto ‘Gung Ho’ Red Blend, Bogle Petite Sirah, Stags’ Leap Petit Sirah Napa Valley and Michael David Winery Petite Petit. Also, look for Nugan Estate Manuka Grove Vineyard, Durif from Australia.

Christopher Reckord – Information Technology Entrepreneur & Wine Enthusiast. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Periscope @chrisreckord and on Twitter: @Reckord