WINO 101

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Welcome to another fine newsletter and tasting announcement from Carpe Vinum! I’m pretty excited this week, as tomorrow we’ll be pouring the wonderful, super-powered, dark and fruity powerhouse of a wine that is Petite Sirah! For those of you unfamiliar with the Petit Sirah grape, read on! For those of you who ARE familiar with the grape. . .well. . .read on, anyway. . .and maybe help the other students.

So Now. . .Petite Sirah! What is it? Well, for one, it’s a grape. Okay. . well, I guess we could have all figured that, considering this IS a wine newsletter. But as all grapes are different, the characters of Petite Sirah are quite unique.

The grape name “Petite Sirah” is another name for “Durif”, named by the botanist who discovered the grape, Francois Durif. This leads me to believe it was either the first or only thing that Monsieur Durif had discovered, considering the “naming your discoveries after yourself” phenomenon should be carefully thought through; You may have only one shot at it, you better make it good. I guess a grape isn’t a comet, or anything. . .but if you’re a botanist, you take what you can get and put your name on what you can.

So Francois Durif discovered the grape in 1880, but did not know the full source of the grape’s lineage. It was only recently that scientists, using modern DNA tracking, were able to determine that this Durif/Petite Sirah, was actually a cross-pollination of two grapes: the well-known and well-loved Northern Rhone Varietal of Syrah, and Peloursin. . .a variety no one knows anything about. It’s like a celebrity or a rockstar marrying their high school sweetheart. . .it’s almost a letdown.

So this descendant-of-a-grapey-rockstar, better known as Petite Sirah, has had a varied career. Both parents of the grape come from the Rhone region of France, yet little of it is actually grown there. Petite Sirah, however, found a welcome home in California in 1884 and it has been increasing in popularity over the years. Like Zinfandel, it has achieved its own cult status with its own society “P.S. I Love You” and several Petite Sirah festivals, including the “Blue Tooth Tour.” No, that doesn’t have anything to do with the Bluetooth Wireless computer stuff, rather, it refers to what drinking Petite Sirah tends to do to your teeth. . .turn them blue. Well, Petite Sirah IS a very full-bodied wine, bold and fruity, and the extra tannins will tend to color your teeth and tongue. But not to worry, it’s temporary!

So Friday, February 10th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Petite Sirah!!
Jewel 2003 Petite Sirah, California
McManis 2003 Petite Sirah, Lodi, California
Spellbound 2002 Petite Sirah, California
Marietta 2001 Petite Sirah, Sonoma County, California
Girard 2003 Petite Sirah, Napa Valley, California

AKA Durif!!
Norman 2002 Petite Sirah, Paso Robles, California
Lolonis 2001 Orpheus, Redwood Valley, California **It’s Organic!**

A stellar deal at $10 for the First 5, $6 for the Extra 2 Premium Pours
Hope to see you here!
Seize the Wine!

Next Friday tasting French Languedoc!

M