Petite Sirah - California’s Wine Grape Varietals

Great wine begins with great grapes. Capitalizing on the state’s diverse geography and climates, California wine-grape growers can grow a wide range of grape varieties and styles. The Golden State boasts more than 100 different varieties of wine grapes, thanks to its diverse topography, soils, climates and growers.

With respect for tradition and a propensity for innovation, California’s wine-grape growers are able to produce some of the best grapes, and wines, in the world. Here’s a look at some of California’s most notable wine grapes:

Image of Petite Sirah Wine Grapes Varietals on the vine, grown in California

Pronunciation

Petite Sirah is pronounced Peh-TEET Sih-RAH

Petite Sirah (Red)

Despite the similarities in name, petite sirah and syrah are two very different grapes. Petite sirah likely earned its name in California around the 1880s when some vines, likely a variety of syrah, had smaller, more petite grapes. Despite its name, the flavor of petite sirah is often deep, rich, and spicy, and the wines are usually full-bodied. This is because the skin-to-juice ratio is high in the small grapes, and the majority of a wine’s flavors and color comes from the skin.

Taste: Petite sirah is known for its intense, black pepper flavors.

Perfect Food Matches: Petite sirahs work well with grilled meats like pork tenderloin and lamb or wild game, including venison, wild boar or quail.