The heatwave is technically over but it’s still horribly humid, and for the past few days probably all you’ve been drinking is crisp whites and rosés. Summertime in general doesn’t tend to make people want to drink heavy reds, but summer also means Grill Time! And nothing goes better with some charred grilled red meat than Petite Sirah, so add it to your summer night repertoire.
PS was created by crossing Syrah with Peloursin. Despite it’s name, though, it’s anything but “petite” and light. It’s intense, inky (check out the stain in the legs in this pic!), bold, tannic, and – at its best – velvety and delicious. This is tough guy territory, the John Wayne of wines. Here are 5 good ones I had recently.
frank family 2010
My fave! So velvety you can practically smell the smooth. What you can actually smell is blackberry, coffee, and some earthiness, and then you taste incredibly smooth tannins and acid all mixing really well together. $65
quivira 2009
This one’s also really smooth, with blueberry, blackberry and a hint of minty herb. The body on this one’s a tiny bit little lighter but the color’s still as inky purple as it gets. $30
true grit 2008
Black pepper, ashy, dirty and gritty (obv, check the name). $29
pedroncelli 2008
This one’s a bit more tannic, but has good blackberry flavor and a little mint note at the end. $17
line 39 2011
Smooth blackberry and maybe a hint of licorice. Less complex but a good bargain if you just want to try out Petite Sirah! $11
grapefriend 
Reblogged this on LifeBuildingBlocks and commented:
For my oenophiles! Great blog to follow!
I love Quivira! Visited their winery and came back with a ton of goodies.
Yum – haven’t been but I bet it’s a good one.
I love a good Petite Sirah! Does that make me bad@ss? 😉
I’ll have to try these brands out.
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Our local Coop carries the Line 39 and I have purchased it many times. I am happy you have posted some other ones for me to try. thanks!
have fun experimenting – and grill up some meat!
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I adore petite syrahs…thank you for these recommends!
Let me know if you try any!
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rehashed information. Fantastic read! I’ve bookmarked your site and
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