Petite Sirah vs. Syrah
A friend recently asked me about the difference between Petite Sirah and Syrah. For starters, they’re different grapes, but here’s some more about both wines, plus some tasty pairings:
🍇 Syrah
Syrah is a grape from the Rhône Valley in France. Syrah wines are medium to full bodied with medium acid and medium to high tannins. They have notes of meat, dark fruit, and white pepper.
If you’re thinking, “I’ve never seen a French wine called Syrah on the label”… in France, wines aren’t named by grape, but by region.
What are some French wines made with Syrah? In the Northern Rhône: Hermitage, Cornas, Côte-Rôtie, and my favorite: Saint-Joseph. In the Southern Rhône, Syrah is blended (typically with Grenache and Mourvèdre) to make: Côtes du Rhône, Gigondas, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Pairing: Syrah is fabulous with meat. Absolutely fabulous. Try it with a ribeye, skirt steak, an enormous burger…nearly any kind of meat on the grill will do. Syrah is a great alternative to a big Napa Cab or a red Bordeaux blend.
The Saint-Joseph in this photo is from a Rhône producer I love: Saint Cosme. It gets 94 points from two of the best wine critics in the game: Jeb Dunnuck and James Suckling, and is $49.99 on wine.com.
🍇 Petite Sirah
Petite Sirah is a descendant of Syrah; it was created when a French botanist crossed a Syrah grape with Peloursin. His name was François Durif, so sometimes Petite Syrah is also called Durif. Petite Syrah isn’t grown much in France anymore, but it’s pretty popular in California, where it’s typically blended with other grapes, like Zinfandel. Petite Sirah is more tannic than Syrah, but also has dark fruit flavors and some peppery and earthy notes.
Pairing: The Petite Sirah in this picture is beautiful with pork. The winemaker specifically suggests Mexican carnitas tacos. It’s also excellent with meat on the grill or a portobello burger. It has a dog on the label, so what could be better? From Clarksburg in Yolo County, California, it gets 90 points from James Suckling and is just $17.99 on wine.com.
Chin!
