Petite means small or dainty but the petite sirah is anything but dainty. This grape makes wine that is big and bold with intense fruit flavor. Petite sirah makes some pretty awesome wine so I was shocked to read that there is only about 10,000 acres worldwide, most of which are in California. So we are here to spread the petite sirah love!
This week’s episode is all about petite sirah:
- Where’s it’s grown
- the history of petite sirah an how it ended up in California
- Flavor characteristics
- Food pairings
Check out PS I Love You, I petite sirah advocacy group in California
Wine Recommendations:
Ramsay 2014 North Coast Petite Sirah – priced around $13. This wine is the lightest in alcohol of the three wines we are recommending. This wine has aromas of blue and black berries and black licorice. It’s a dry, full bodied with lots of acidity, medium tannins with flavors of blueberry, blackberry, and chocolate covered espresso beans.
Vinum Cellars Petite Sirah Clarksburg 2014 – priced around $15. A small production wine of 3,00 cases, this wine is real savory and smooth. This wine smells like dirt, blueberry, blackberry, and violets. It’s juicy that puckers in the back of your mouth. It has flavors of mushroom and earth, oak, leather and a nice finish of black plums.
Earthquake Petite Sirah 2012 – priced around $26. You need to try this wine! Thanks to Michael David winery and Lodi, we have this amazing gem. It’s lush, decadent and almost dessert with aromas of black and blueberries, fresh fennel, violets and dust. This wine tastes like chocolate (oh yeah!) blackberry, herbs, and black plum with a touch of tartness. This wine is worth every penny and more.
Have you tried petite sirah wine? We would love to hear your recommendations below in the comments below.