Petite Sirah the mystery uncovered

Wines & Vines, Sept, 2000 by Dennis Fife

Sullivan goes on to state that: "in the 1890s virtually all the true Syrah in California was destroyed by phylloxera. But after 1897, when good times brought vast planting and replanting all over the state, something called Petite Sirah became a popular variety. It was not Syrah and was probably Durif." (Based on everything we now know--particularly from the research of Drs. Olmo and Meredith--it is highly likely that the term Petite Sirah at this time referred to several dark skinned varieties including Syrah and Durif.) Sullivan states that this new Petite Sirah was touted for its color, fragrance, and good yields and became a mainstay of the red burgundy blends made by many top wine houses. This trend continued and Petite Sirah became a key blend component in many of the finest red wines produced in California (both varietal wines and blends) right up through most of the 1970s (just as northern Rhone wines were blended into many important Bordeaux and Burgundy wines in the 19th century).

Sullivan tells us that during prohibition, Petite Sirah in the North Coast was one of the most important varieties shipped East in boxcars for home winemakers. This probably preserved many of these old vineyards yet at the same time led to more confusion as growers probably paid even less attention to keeping varieties straight since they were not making wine. At some point in history this trend led to a period where several grape nurseries sold a "Petite Sirah" that was a blend of the budwood of several dark red varieties that would vary depending upon what might be available. Typical varieties in such a blend we now know might be Durif, Zinfandel, "true" Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, Valdeguie, Gamay, Mandeuse, and others. Writes Sullivan, "After Repeal there were about 7,500 acres of Petite Sirah in California, about half of them planted before 1920... but acreage declined to about 4,500 acres in the 1960s."

The first varietally-labeled Petite Sirahs were in the 1960s (most used the Petite Sirah spelling but sev-era have continued to use the Petite Syrah spelling). Among the firs were Concannon in Livermore, Cresta Blanca in Mendocino, plus Stags' Leap Winery Souverain (then under founder Lee Stewart), Inglenook Napa Valley, and Ridge's York Creek Petite Sirah, all from the Napa Valley. All of these wines referenced a connection to the Rhone on their labels or in their marketing materials. And all of these producers produced several excellent wines in the '60s and '70s that aged well and today are collectors items.

In summary, Petite Sirah in its over 100 years of note in America has made some wonderful varietal wines; added density, color and spice to red wine blends--including many of the finest Syrahs and Rhone blends of today; and its tough skin made it a good shipping grape during prohibition--which left us the heritage of many old vine-yards today. During much of this long history, "true" Syrah almost died out in America, except where it was labeled as or interplanted with Petite Sirah. In many ways Petite Sirah was the seed for keeping Syrah and other Rhone varieties in many peoples' minds until the modern Rhone movement in Americ; occurred.