2017 Wood Family Vineyards Petite Sirah – A Very Pleasant Surprise
This didn’t start out to be one of my “wine stories” as we just wanted a simple wine without pulling something very special out of the cellar. When I heard what the meal being prepared, I thought Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, etc., to counterbalance the spiciness. Looked up some different varietals and decided to grab this Petite Sirah. What transformed was spectacular for an impromptu decision.
This wine had an intense deep red/purple hue that was almost “black” in color. It possessed a heavy body and viscosity. On the nose dark fruit, cocoa and black pepper. On the palate blackberry, blueberry were dominate with strong hints of ripe plums and just the right amount of oak from the barrel, tempered with vanilla residue. The finish was long lasting and powerful which was needed with the food pairing. The acidity and tannins were big and bold but the fruit kept them “in check”.
As an educational note, Petite Sirah is not a “smaller” version of Syrah as it is a wholly different varietal. The background on Petite Sirah is that it is the offspring of Syrah and Peloursin (a scarce and almost extinct grape).
A fantastically prepared Andouille Cajun Rice Skillet dish was chosen to pair with the wine. This was a “warm temperature flavor” dish with spiciness and far reaching textual appeal in the mouth. The recipe called for Andouille Cajun sausage, yellow onion, red & yellow bell peppers, minced garlic, Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning, kosher salt, tomato paste, fresh sliced Roma tomatoes and brown rice. Paired with the Wood Family Vineyards Petite Sirah was an excellent choice.
This wine goes for $30 at the winery and is worth every penny. I am headed back this week to pick up a few more bottles as that was the last one!
Sláinte,
Michael
California Wines & Wineries 