Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/40615
MANAGEMENT MARKET WATCH Petite Sirah Takes the Spotlight The 'little' grape comes up big as a stand-alone variety ights, camera, action! Petite sirah has finally made it to wine's cen- ter stage, after decades of being the bit player, the understudy, the vinous equivalent of movie actors whose biggest credits are as "Police Officer No. 1" or "Blonde in Bar." Petite sirah, the red grape of once-questionable heritage (though now considered a true Rhône Val- ley variety, with one of its genea- logical parents being syrah), has become a star in America. No longer just a blending grape used to beef up zinfandel, petite sirah is winning fans, and boatloads of medals at prominent wine com- petitions. Petite sirah swept through the 2011 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, winning seven double gold medals and nine gold med- als out 71 entries. Sixteen petite sirahs took gold medals this year at the Los Angeles International Wine Competition, and at the 2011 Riverside International Wine Com- SHORT COURSE After years of being 'lost' in field blends, petite sirah is now taken seriously by winemakers. Known as durif in France, the grape can produce brawny, tannic wines. Its potential for global acceptance is limited. Like zinfandel, petite sirah is a California speciality. 20 VINEYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT SEPT - OCT 2011 The Christopher Creek 2008 Reserve Petite Sirah was a sweepstakes winner at the 2010 Riverside International Wine Competiton. Still, some wine experts are skeptical that the variety will advance beyond its ready-to-drink- now/blending roles. Considering the internationally acclaimed red varieties cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, syrah, nebbiolo, tempranillo and sangiovese, and local suprema- cy of California zinfandel, the small production base for petite sirah leaves it with overwhelming com- petition, Fenestra Winery's 2007 Ghielmetti Vineyard Petite Sirah from Livermore won the red-wine sweepstakes. Nielsen data shows that in 2010, petite sirah grew 10%, making it the second-fastest-growing red variety in the U.S. wine industry, just behind pinot noir (+12%). It's clear that a segment of consumers enjoy petite sirah's typical brawni- ness, tannins and big body. Wilfred Wong is cellarmaster for Beverages & More and a San Francisco- based wine writer. petition in a quest to be recognized globally. As one of the judges at the Riv- erside competition, I voted for the 2007 Fenestra Ghielmetti Vineyard Petite Sirah as one of my choices to receive the sweepstakes award. I was truly impressed with the wine's blend of power and finesse. At the 2010 Riverside judging, the 2008 Christopher Creek Reserve Petite Sirah from Russian River Val- ley took the same honor. Said com- petition director Dan Berger: "Our judges look for structure and bal- ance, and not just for power." Indeed, this is true. The enor- mously talented Riverside judges seem to give great credence to style and individuality, and don't just bestow high awards for the biggest and baddest wines in the competition. Petite sirah can be that – big and bad, and many con- sumers love it for that reason – yet competent competition judges look for more than bombast when they evaluate wines. NOT EVERYONE'S CUP OF TEA For three decades, Drake McCarthy, a veteran wine sales guy based in the San Francisco Bay Area, has been hard at work selling mostly French wines to the top retailers and restaurateurs in California. Now as the west- ern regional manager for Europvin U.S.A., McCarthy covers one of the most prestigious and competi- tive wine markets in the country. Well-schooled in wines from the Old World, he coolly commented, "When I drink petite sirah, I gen- WWW.VWM-ONLINE.COM WILFRED WONG