Although the grape was originally developed in France in the late 1800's by crossing several varieties of grapes, mainly the Syrah (http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/Syrah/Shiraz) and Peloursin grape, it is no longer cultivated in France. The name “petite” can refer to either the very small berries that grow on the vines or the small yield that comes from harvesting the grapes.



The vine of the Petite Sirah is very hardy. The leaves, which are bright green on top and pale green underneath, are quite large. The grapes grow in small tight clusters that will rot very easily when there are extended periods of rain.

The vines can thrive in almost any kind of soil. When exposed to sun for a long period of time, the berries can become sunburned. These grapes ripen in the middle of the grape growing season, which is why they do well in California.

Even though the Petite Sirah berries are small, they do have a high ratio of skin to juice. This can result in a high level of tannins when the wine is subjected to a long maceration period. When the wineries that produce this wine allow it to age in oak barrels, the wine has the scent of melted chocolate. It ages well because of its high tannic properties and can be left in the bottle for more than ten years.

Petite Sirah is a very dark red wine, which makes it a common choice for use as a blending wine for Zinfandel (http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/Zinfandel). It adds complexity and body to other lighter wines and tones down the jammy taste of Zin wines. When bottled on its own, this wine has a distinctive taste and flavour. It can take on the flavour of black pepper.

Wine connoisseurs say that Petite Sirah is one of the distinctive red wines of America. It has been a favorite of wine drinkers from many years among those who like a big and bold wine.

The number of acres of these grapes planted in California has actually doubled in recent years after a resurgence in the popularity of the wine that did diminish for a time in the 1980's. There is a sort of crispness to the taste and the wine seems to almost glisten when you swirl it around the glass. It is high in acidity due to its characteristics of Peloursin grapes.

The scent of Petite Sirah is high in black cherry and tar with hints of raspberry. It has great structure and balance so that it is not too over the top. It scores really high with wine tasters who will tell you that this wine is a very good wine for an inexpensive price. It is a wine that is often confused with Syrah, but in fact it is a completely different wine.

When you entertain guests and want to serve Petite Sirah, the best foods to serve with it are goose because it is a heavy wine. It goes well with game foods, such as elk, moose, bear and caribou because these meats are more highly flavoured and will temper the taste of the wine.