I have come to the realization that I don’t drink enough Petite Sirah. I love a big, bold red but always tend to gravitate towards your typical Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Malbec. My friend and coworker Stefanie is always seeking out Petite Sirah but it wasn’t until we went to Napa together and didn’t see it on offer at any of tasting rooms that I wondered why it wasn’t more readily available. Until then I hadn’t given it too much thought. My local wine shops don’t have much to choose from in terms of this varietal either. You may see 4 to 6 different options and that’s pretty much it.
Recently I stopped into Pure Liquid located in the Oculus in downtown Manhattan on my way home from work. Not only is this wine store extremely convenient but they also have a very good selection of better wines at reasonable prices. On Fridays they have tastings from 4-7 pm and on this particular Friday they were tasting Parducci True Grit Reserve Petite Sirah 2013 from Mendocino, CA. One sip and I knew I had to purchase a bottle to get the full experience of what was inside. In the glass it is a very dark ruby color. This is very full bodied and after a few swirls there is a very prominent aroma of smokey, BBQ meat. Blackberry fruit gives way into subtle spices and a smooth finish. The alcohol on this is 14.5%. This wine just kept getting better as we got further into the bottle so I recommend letting it open up a bit before drinking.
Parducci is run by the Thornhill family and has been making wine for 85 years and counting. They are known for sustainable practices and a commitment to water conservation to make their award winning wines. In addition to the Petite Sirah there is also a Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and a Reserve Red blend in the True Grit Collection.
Parducci True Grit Reserve Petite Sirah not only got the thumbs up from me but from my Petite Sirah loving friend and with retails under $30 it is an excellent buy. I would love to see more Petite Sirah options available and encourage everyone to share their favorites in the comments.
