Who You Calling "Petite"?

I must admit that, for the longest time, I thought that Petite Sirah was just another name for Syrah (like Fume Blanc is for Sauvignon Blanc) and that Shiraz was an altogether different varietal indigenous to Australia. But when these wines became increasingly popular during the last decade or so, I realized that I was wrong. Indeed, if I had only paid more attention to my palate, I probably would have noticed the similarities and differences between them.

Syrah, the focus of this month’s feature, was until the 1980s best known for its use in the production of Rhone wines and especially in the highly prized and similarly priced northern Rhone appellations of Hermitage and Cote Rotie. Here, the grape is usually used on its own or is sometimes blended with a touch of white Marsanne or Roussanne (for Hermitage) or Viognier (Cote Rotie) to produce long-lived, dry, complex wines with plenty of tannins and spice. Other northern Rhone appellations based exclusively on Syrah include Crozes Hermitages, Saint Joseph, and Cornas. All these wines, when well made, age beautifully and develop totally different personalities after five or more years, shedding their firm tannins and developing a meaty, jammy character. In the southern Rhone, Syrah also plays a role in wine production, but here it only costars with other varietals like Grenache, Mourvedre, and Cinsault, adding color, spice, and depth. Among the best producers of Syrah-based Rhones are Jaboulet, Chapoutier, and Guigal. Unfortunately, their wines are far beyond our $20 limit.

In Australia, Syrah appears under the more exotic-sounding name Shiraz, assumed to derive from the Iranian city. Unlike the Rhone wines, which feature their appellation and not the grape on their labels, the Australian wines tout the name of the varietal underscored by their provenance. Also unlike their more austere Rhone counterparts, these wines tend to be far more fruit forward, less tannic, and sweeter. Possibly the best known and most expensive is Penfolds' Grange Hermitage. However, there are many other fine producers turning out more affordable offerings. The Australian style, helped by the country's warm climate, goes for the bold, sweet-fruit and chocolate flavors that cling to the palate. When well produced, these wines possess beautiful structure, with fruit and tannin perfectly balanced, and they have enough acidity to stand up to many foods. Beware, however, that with the popularity of Shiraz skyrocketing, an increasing number of producers are trying to cash in on it and, as a result, there’s a plethora of labels that promise far more than they deliver. Reliable and widely available producers include Penfolds, Lindemans, Rosemount, Peter Lehman, and Wynns.

Here in the United States, it was California’s Rhone Rangers, headed by Bonny Doon’s Randall Grahm and Qupe’s Bob Lindquist, that brought attention to this varietal in the 1980s. In the Golden State, Syrah seems to do best in Sonoma and Mendocino, where the wines appear to be made more in the French style of pepper and spice but with a tad more fruit. I should note that when shopping for these wines, I was surprised to find so many domestic labels. In fact, one store seemed to offer a selection of California Syrahs that rivaled its Merlots. The number of producers keeps growing and the wines from the best producers are fetching higher and higher prices. Names to look for, when price is no object, are: Qupe, Cline, Foxen, Joseph Phelps, Edmunds St. John, and Zaca Mesa.

Syrah is an outstanding food wine and, depending on its style, can complement a wide variety of dishes. The French and California wines are wonderful with braised beef or lamb, as well as with many Mediterranean dishes, especially ones with eggplant. You might also choose to serve one with a cheese course. Australian Shiraz is perfect for Thanksgiving turkey and all its side dishes as well as for pairing with hearty stews and even with barbecue. I especially enjoy a glass of Shiraz on a cold winter’s night all by itself.

So what about Petite Sirah? Well, that’s the subject of another feature. All I’ll say for now is that the word “Petite” belies this wine’s big, bold, earthy, berry flavors and chewy tannins.

For this tasting, we shopped our local stores and looked for wines that would be pretty widely available for under $20. The selection was vast, but we limited ourselves to fourteen. Our meal was a pot of braised short ribs and lentils. As is our custom, we first tasted the wines without any food and then with our meal. The wines are listed in the order in which they were first tasted.