Relish Petite Sirah

French Roots, California Fame

Petite Sirah, known in France as Durif, was created in the 1860s by French botanist François Durif in the Rhone Valley region. It’s a natural cross between Syrah and a little-known grape called Peloursin. Durif discovered the new varietal growing in his nursery and it was later named after him.

While it originated in France, Durif never really caught on there beyond some minor plantings — it was known for its deep color and tannic structure, but also for being a bit too intense and disease-prone in the French climate.

It wasn’t until California growers imported the grape in the late 19th century, renaming it Petite Sirah (likely for its small, thick-skinned berries and resemblance to Syrah), that it truly found its home. Today, Petite Sirah is considered a California signature varietal, though small plantings remain in Australia, Israel, and South Africa as well.

but really made a name for itself in California and despite the name, it’s not a smaller version of Syrah; it’s actually a distinct grape variety with its own characteristics, for example:

Today, we walk among these remarkable old vines, planted in their current home in 1890, though their roots trace back decades earlier along the riverbank.

Walking together in the vineyard, Billy shared the story of his great-grandfather — how, after a devastating Dry Creek flood in the late 1800s, he carefully searched the waterlogged land for surviving vines. One by one, he dug them up and replanted them on higher ground, on the very property now bordered by Dry Creek Road and Yoakim Bridge Road.

A testament to resilience, these vines continue to tell their story through every harvest.