The big flavors of petite sirah draw plenty of fans

There's a bit of confusion surrounding petite sirah, and it starts with the name. The problem? The wine is neither petite nor is it syrah. Syrah is the red grape of the Rhone, and grown throughout Washington also. Petite sirah is French — alternately named Durif, and a distant relation to true syrah. As the Web site psiloveyou.org — a petite sirah advocacy group — confirms, the grape has a wide circle of admirers.

Though just 6,000 acres are planted in California, the Web site finds that almost 500 wineries are making at least one varietal petite sirah.

It is one of what Ravenswood's Joel Peterson calls the original "mixed blacks" of California. Peterson is referring to the 19th- and early-20th-century plantings, mostly by Italian immigrants, of field blends that included petite sirah, zinfandel, alicante bouschet and carignane. They were intermingled in the vineyard, picked together and vinified together, echoing Old World winemaking traditions.

You'll still find petite sirah included in many sturdy red blends, though these days the blending is most likely to happen post-fermentation, not in the vineyard. Wines labeled petite sirah, which must by law contain at least 75 percent of the named grape, have also become popular.

Here in Washington state there is very little petite sirah grown, though Thurston Wolfe has made a nice version since at least 2002; and significant percentages sometimes go into Dr. Wolfe's Family Red and the excellent JTW Port. But it's really California's grape, and that is where you'll find a wide selection.

As for the petite part, there is nothing petite about these wines. The grape is brawny, tannic, often inky and impenetrable — a classic tooth-stainer. Many of the same wineries that make excellent zinfandels also do a fine job with petite sirah: Foppiano, Pedroncelli, Ravenswood, Rosenblum and Seghesio are five to seek out.

The hand of the producer and the age of the vines is paramount here. Some excellent versions show restraint, coming in below 14 percent alcohol, while others ramped it up well over 15 percent. Apart from that, the main stylistic differences had to do with the use of new or neutral oak, and what is known as tannin management. Petite sirah will always have muscular, even earthy tannins, but they should be ripe (free of green or stemmy flavors) and smooth.

You'll want to drink these wines young, and to decant them well in advance. If possible, stand the bottle up for a few hours to let any sediment settle before (carefully) pouring the wine. It's hard to imagine a better match for hearty winter meals.

Good, inexpensive (under $15) versions are made by Big House, Bogle, Castle Rock, Concannon, Crane Lake ($4!), Lot 205, McManis Family, Oak Grove, Pedroncelli and Red Truck.

Spend more, get more. Rosenblum makes a passel of petites, including a Pickett Road (Napa Valley), a Pato Vineyard (Contra Costa County), a Rockpile Road Vineyard Reserve (Dry Creek Valley) and a Heritage Clones (San Francisco Bay). This last is the least expensive ($18) and my favorite among Rosenblum 2006s. I often find Rosenblum wines too alcoholic and volatile for my taste, but this one is delicious, a mouthful of blueberry jam accented with floral and spice, pepper and chocolate. A few more: Artezin 2006 Mendocino Petite Sirah ($25); Stags Leap 2005 Napa Valley Petite Syrah ($38); J. Lohr 2006 Tower Road Vineyard Petite Sirah ($20).

Paul Gregutt is the author of "Washington Wines & Wineries — the Essential Guide." Contact him at paulgwine@me.com.