Durif

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Durif/Petite Sirah
Species: Vitis vinifera
Also called: Duriff, Plant Durif, Plant Fourchu, Pinot de Romans and Pinot de l’Hermitage
Origin: Montpellier, France
Notable regions: Australia, California, France

Durif is a variety of red wine grape primarily grown in California, Australia, France, and Israel. Recently, wineries located in Washington State's Yakima Valley, Maryland, Arizona, West Virginia, Chile, Mexico's Baja Peninsula, and Ontario's Niagara Peninsula have also produced wines from Durif grapes. It is the main grape known in the US and Israel as Petite Sirah with over 90% of the California plantings labeled "Petite Sirah" being Durif grapes; the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms recognizes "Durif" and "Petite Sirah" as interchangeable synonyms referring to the same grape.[1] It produces tannic wines with a spicy, plummy flavour. The grape originated as a cross of Syrah pollen germinating a Peloursin plant. On some occasions, Peloursin and Syrah vines may be called Petite Sirah, usually because the varieties are extremely difficult to distinguish in old age.

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[edit] History

The grape is named after François Durif, a botanist at the University of Montpellier. It was in a vineyard near the university that he discovered the Peloursin berry that contained the first Durif seed in 1880. [2] Syrah was later identified as the source of the pollen in 1997 following DNA fingerprinting at the University of California, Davis. [3]. The grape's high resistance to downy mildew encouraged its cultivation in the early 20th century in areas like Isère and Ardèche though the relative low quality of the resulting wine caused the grape to fall out of favor with the local wine authorities. Today it is almost non-existent in France.[4]

[edit] Regional production

While once popular, the Durif vine is now virtually non-existent in France. California and Australia are now the two leading producers of Durif. The grape can also be found in Israel,[5], Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Mexico.[6]

[edit] Australia

Confirmed as recently as 1997, old plantings of Durif continued to be used to produce popular wine in the Rutherglen, Victoria region of Australia. Durif is now grown in other wine regions of Australia, such as Riverina and Riverland, with over 740 acres (3.0 km²) under cultivation by 2000.[4]

[edit] USA

DNA fingerprinting has shown that the majority of Petite Sirah plantings in California to actually be Durif.[7] The vine is a popular planting in Mendocino, Monterey and San Joaquin County. In addition to being produced as a varietal wine, the grape is sometimes blended with Zinfandel.[5] In years when heavy rain or excess sun has weakened the quality or yield of Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir plantings, Petite Sirah will also be used as a blending partner to strengthen the wine. The average age of Petite Sirah vines tend to be older then most Californian vines.[6]

As of December 2007, the TTB lists both Petite Sirah and Durif in 27 CFR § 4.91 as approved grape varieties for American wines, but they are not listed as synonyms.[8] This means that US producers can produce Durif wine, but not label it as Petite Sirah, and vice versa.[9] The ATF proposed that they be recognised as synonyms in Notice of Proposed Rulemaking No. 941, published in the Federal Register on 10 April 2002 but a decision on RIN 1513–AA32 (formerly RIN 1512-AC65)[10] appears to be postponed indefinitely, probably because the new regulation is tied up in the trade dispute that would see the TTB recognise Primitivo as a synonym for Zinfandel.[11]

While not one of the officially sanctioned grapes of the Côtes du Rhône AOC, Petite Sirah's linking to Durif caused the California's Rhone Rangers to add the grape to its listings of wine in 2002.[12]

[edit] Israel

In Israel, Petite Sirah had a history much like that in California -- historically used as a blending grape to add body to inferior wines. However, Petite Sirah has recently experienced somewhat of a revival both in high-end blends and bottled as a single or majority variety. The UC Davis-trained winemaker and Ph.D chemist Yair Margalit, familiar with the grape from his time in California, showed that Petite Sirah need not be consigned to jug wine when he blended small portions into his reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Seeing that Israeli terroir could grow great Petite Sirah, wineries such as Recanati followed suit with Petite Sirah blends, while others like Sea Horse, Carmel, and Vitkin have made single-varietal Petite Sirah in addition to their blends.

[edit] Petite Sirah and Petite Syrah

Syrah grapes
Syrah grapes

Petite Sirah is sometimes mistakenly spelled "Petite Syrah" which has historically referred to the small berries of the Syrah grape by Rhône growers.[13] In California, immigrant vine growers introduced Syrah 1878 and used the phrase "Petite Syrah" to refer to the lower yields that the vines then were producing in California. Actual Petite Sirah (Durif) was then introduced in 1884.[1]

[edit] Viticulture

The 'petite' in the name of this grape refers to the size of its berries and not the vine, which is particularly vigorous. The leaves are large with a bright green upper surface and paler green lower surface. The grape forms tightly packed clusters that can be susceptible to rotting in rainy environments. The small berries creates a high skin to juice ratio which can produce very tannic wines if the juice goes through an extended maceration period..[14] In the presence of new oak barrels the wine can develop an aroma of melted chocolate.[15]

[edit] Wine

Petite Sirah produces dark, inky colored wines that are relatively acidic with firm texture and mouth feel. The bouquet has herbal and black pepper overtones.[14] Compared to Syrah, the wine is noticeably more dark and purplish in color. The wines are very tannic with aging ability that can eclipse 20 years in the bottle.[13]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b PS I Love You Petite Sirah Timeline
  2. ^ Peasant turns prince:Long considered an ignoble grape, Petite Sirah's parentage lifts the variety from working class to nobility. San Francisco Chronicle (January 20,2005).
  3. ^ Petite Sirah Timeline. Petite Sirah Advocacy Association.
  4. ^ a b J. Robinson "The Oxford Companion to Wine" Third Edition pg 244 Oxford University Press 2006 ISBN 0198609906
  5. ^ a b J. Robinson Vines, Grapes & Wines pg 227 Mitchell Beazley Publishing 1986 ISBN 1857329996
  6. ^ a b J. Robinson "The Oxford Companion to Wine" Third Edition pg 514 Oxford University Press 2006 ISBN 0198609906
  7. ^ O. Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 88 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144
  8. ^ 27 CFR 4.91 Labeling And Advertising Of Wine Subpart J—American Grape Variety Names. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (2007-12-20). Retrieved on 2007-12-22.
  9. ^ Berry, Jennifer. Changes to List of American Grape Variety Names. Alcohol & Tobacco Newsletter April 2002. ATF. Retrieved on 2007-12-22.
  10. ^ Federal Register: June 6, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 109)
  11. ^ 2206. Proposal To Recognize Synonyms For Petite Sirah And Zinfandel Grape Varieties
  12. ^ M. Worobiec "Petite Sirah Rides Shotgun as Rhone Rangers Trot Into Town" Wine Spectator April 30, 2002
  13. ^ a b O. Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 168 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144
  14. ^ a b Durif Grape Varierty Cellarnotes.net
  15. ^ J. Laube "Petite's Road Back" Wine Spectator Jan 31st, 2004

[edit] External links

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