Life Style / Wine Grapes / Petite Sirah: Historically has been something of a 'mystery' vine. When first imported into California this variety somehow acquired the subject name possibly as a result of a labeling error confusing it with Petite Syrah. Is now a widely grown grape variety in California that a recent DNA analysis report, (Meredith, C.P, et al., Am. J. Enol. Vitic. 50(3):236-42 1999), has shown to have a very high probability of being derived from the cross of a Peloursin seedling with the variety Syrah, both grown in the Rhone region of France. It has subsequently been identified as (and is therefore a synonym name for) the variety named Durif (in honor of the developer) chosen and recorded in France around the early 1880's. Traditional Californian wine blends under the name of Petite Sirah are known to have contained a proportion of Barbera or Zinfandel grapewine. Suffice to say that, whatever the provenance of the grapevine(s) currently known as Petite Sirah, they produce dark red, tannic wines in the warmer regions of California, used mainly as backbone for Central Valley 'jug' wines. In the cooler northern regions, where many very old vines still exist, it is often made into a robust, balanced red wine of considerable popularity.
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Petite Noun Synonyms: delicate, dainty, mignon(ne), diminutive, small, little, slight, tiny, small-boned, dinky
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Lifestyle / Wine Grapes / Petite Amie: Listed as a cultivar developed by David McGregor that exhibits winter hardiness to -20 deg. F. Used to create a white wine with Muscat flavors. No other details as yet. MORE
Lifestyle / Wine Grapes / Petite Jewel: Reported as derived from a MN 78 x Canadice cross created by Elmer Swenson. Red-skinned seedless variety having small-medium clusters of small berries. Recommended for very cool climates and claimed t MORE
Lifestyle / Wine Grapes / Petite Sirah: Historically has been something of a 'mystery' vine. When first imported into California this variety somehow acquired the subject name possibly as a result of a labeling error confusing it with Petit MORE