Petite Sirah is neither Petite nor Syrah
Episode Notes:
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Segment 1: Where I’ve Been: Harvest, Milestones, and a Return to the Barre
The earliest harvest in 40 years…
California's 2026 harvest was the earliest in four decades, and it wasn't even a hot summer. We picked our Sangiovese on August 14, almost a full month ahead of our previous earliest pick. Grenache came in on August 22 for our Rosé of Grenache, then we let the rest hang and returned on August 29 for another ton for the red Grenache. All three wines are now resting in barrel. That's the first time we've had three wines in progress since 2023. Follow @sollevatowines on Instagram for harvest highlights.
One year cancer-free, and a win for scalp cooling
I've hit one year since completing surgery, chemo, and radiation for breast cancer. My health is great, my energy is great, and my hair is growing back thick and curly. It's October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so: get your mammogram.
I'm also celebrating new California legislation that will require insurance to cover scalp cooling, which helped me keep my hair during chemo. Until now it was out of pocket and expensive. I was lucky to have my "hair fairies," Amy (my college roommate) and Brian, who covered my Paxman sessions. Soon, patients won't need hair fairies to access it.
Turning 50, and remembering my dad
I turned 50 in September, and I'm not stressing about it. What's the alternative to getting older? This season also marked one year since we lost my dad to pancreatic cancer. That mix of victory and loss is exactly why Sollevato partners with the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
We still have a small amount of our 2023 Grenache with the special pink logo label. A portion of every bottle supports the V Foundation, and that wine just earned 91 points from Wine Enthusiast.
Back to ballet
I trained seriously in classical ballet growing up in New Jersey, attended the North Carolina School of the Arts, and danced The Nutcracker every year with the Company of Dance Arts in Red Bank. As a 50th birthday gift to myself, I finally went back. Dance Evolution Studio in Santa Rosa runs a Monday-night Back to Ballet class for dancers returning after a long time away. Two 90-minute classes in, it's filling my cup.
If there's a passion you've been missing but feel nervous about returning to, just try it. Once you do, it's not so scary.
Coming Soon: Our First-Ever Petite Sirah
Michael and I are about to release the 2023 Sollevato Petite Sirah, first to Il Circolo, our wine club. We're also launching our first corporate gifting program, with 1-, 2-, and 3-bottle gift boxes. Send us your list and we'll ship beautifully wrapped gifts with handwritten cards directly to your clients, team, friends, or family.
Segment 2: The Night of the Spanking
Back in 2012, during my first wine certification at the Culinary Institute of America, my classmates Wendy and Jamie and I went to Bottega in Yountville the night before our final exam. We ordered the famous braised short ribs and a bottle of Michael Chiarello's house Petite Sirah.
The sommelier poured the inky, opaque wine into a decanter, which was gorgeous to watch, then announced he needed to "spank" the Petite Sirah. He covered the top of the decanter with his hand and shook it hard until the wine went frothy. We still talk about it. Lesson learned: Petite Sirah is so bold and tannic that it benefits from aggressive aeration.
Here’s the video of me SPANKING our 2023 Sollevato PS!
Petite Sirah vs. Syrah: What’s the Difference?
At Pride Mountain Vineyards, where I'm celebrating 14 years as a wine educator this month, I pour Syrah, and the question always follows within seconds: what's the difference between Syrah and Petite Sirah?
Spelling: Syrah is S-Y-R-A-H. Petite Sirah is S-I-R-A-H.
Syrah: a Rhône grape from France. In Australia it's called Shiraz. Same grape.
Petite Sirah: also known as Durif, named for the botanist who identified it after Syrah and Peloursin cross-pollinated in his vineyard. Think of it as Syrah's offspring, the same way Cabernet Sauvignon came from Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.
Where it grows: more is planted in California than in France. Roughly three-quarters of the world's Petite Sirah is in California, much of it in Napa and Sonoma.
Why It’s Called “Petite” (Hint: It’s the Grapes)
The wine is huge. The grapes are small. Petite Sirah grows in tight, compact clusters of small berries, which means more skin and less juice. Skins deliver color, tannin, and flavor during fermentation, so Petite Sirah ends up dark, dense, and high in tannin.
Tannin softens with time, which is why this grape, like Cabernet Sauvignon, rewards long barrel aging and cellaring. It will always be a chewy wine. Time just makes it more approachable.
What Petite Sirah Tastes Like
Fruit: blue and black, think blueberry and blackberry (not the red cherry notes of Grenache).
Spice: a peppery, spicy overlay, sometimes savory or meaty.
Bonus: coffee, espresso, or mocha notes, from both the grape and the barrel.
Texture: liquid velvet. Full-bodied, palate-coating, with real weight.
That combination makes it the ultimate cozy wine for fall and the holidays: braises, stews, short ribs, and rich cheeses. Fun fact: superfans have an enthusiast group called P.S. I Love You.
The Story Behind the Sollevato Petite Sirah
When I moved to wine country permanently in 2012, I rented a two-bedroom cottage in the middle of a 56-acre vineyard on Spring Mountain, above St. Helena. For three years I woke up and looked out my bedroom window at these exact Petite Sirah vines, during the formative years when I changed careers and began my life in wine.
In 2023, we had the chance to buy a ton of fruit from that property, and I couldn't say no. These mountain grapes grow above 1,000 feet in the Spring Mountain AVA, where cooler temperatures help them hold on to natural acidity. That acidity is the exclamation point at the end of the sip, keeping a big wine fresh.
To match the wine's intensity, we bought our first-ever new French oak barrel ($1,200, with our emblem laser-etched on the head). Half the wine aged in new oak and half in a well-used barrel, for 30 months total, and we bottled this past spring.
Every sip has choreography: it slides across your palate, wraps the sides of your mouth with soft warmth, gives a little squeeze of tannin, then finishes with a bright "ta-da."
How to Get a Bottle
Production: 2 barrels = 687 hand-numbered bottles.
Wine club first: Il Circolo members get first access. Any remaining bottles go on the website. Club spaces are still available at sollevatowines.com.
Listener discount: use code PODLISTENER for 10% off.
Shipping: we ship to most U.S. states, with complimentary shipping on a case or more.
Holiday gifting: join the mailing list at sollevatowines.com for our new gift box options.
Whatever you do between now and our next time together, I hope that you sip well.
As always, you can find Michael's and my wines at sollevatowines.com — our 2023 Grenache and Sangiovese are available now and ship to most states. Use code PODLISTENER for 10% off. Wish us luck as we kick off the 2026 harvest, and until next time — sip well.
Other Links and Resources:
Other resources and links:
I make wine! Specifically Sangiovese, Grenache and soon to release… Petite Sirah! Check out our current small lot offerings at sollevatowines.com and use the code PODLISTENER for 10% off. We can ship to most states in the US.
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