Let’s consider the Petite Sirah grape. Despite failing in its birthplace, this resourceful immigrant has flourished in the New Worlds of California and Australia. Petite Sirah first appeared in France around 1870 when the botanist François Durif caught sight of it in someone’s vineyard and named it after himself. Durif remains another name for this grape.

Durif or Petite Sirah is a cross between two Rhône varieties: the noble Syrah and the virtually extinct Peloursin. Its tight clusters of small dark grapes suffered from grey rot and powdery mildew in the humid summers of the Rhône valley. It never became popular, and today Petite Sirah is virtually unknown in Europe. (It survives in a single tiny appellation or wine-growing district — Palette — in Provence in the south of France.)

In the dry heat of Napa, the small, tough-skinned grape established a niche as a blending wine added to softer Zinfandel and Cabernet mixes. Skin and the resulting tannins are a major feature of Petite Sirah. The geometry of a small grape means that more surface area comes into contact with the juice. It is like buying milk by the half-pint – at the end of the day there are a lot of containers. Petite Sirah was first valued because it added tannic structure and acid. With the growth of interest in varietal wines (unblended), a handful of California producers have begun to produce Petite Sirah in its own right.

Fleur de California 2006 Petite Sirah North Coast is a fine example of this sturdy grape. The wine has an unmediated intensity. It is densely flavored – deep purple with a simple dark berry taste. Anyone who drank California jug red when the world was young in 1976 will recall the burnished sweet ring of Petite Sirah. The publicists like to speak of “explosions of taste.” I came away without being blown up, but I understood the metaphor. This is a strongly flavored Rhône-style wine which needs roasted or grilled meat rubbed with rosemary or thyme to show its best side. You could serve it confidently with young goat and mashed potatoes with garlic and oil. Not a bad plan in a cold, dark month.

Fleur de California Petite Sirah, 2006

$13.75/bottle

Tuta 12/9/08