Simple Hedonisms

Guest post by Steven Washuta, of Terroirist blog. Steven is a recent addition to Sonoma County, and Assistant Winemaker at Old World Winery. I was not able to attend this event due to 3  conflicting events invited too, Steven was able to provide air support. Lets hope he writes again! (Speaking of Petite Sirah, don’t miss last nights Oscar review of one.

Petite Sirah Comes onto My  Radar

Friday nights are good for at least one thing: drinking wine. Friday, February 18th was a great night for that in the Bay Area, as P.S. I Love You put on their annual Dark and Delicious event focusing on two things: Petite Sirah and food. Having grown my palate largely on French and Northwest wines, Petite Sirah hasn’t been on my radar until moving to Sonoma County last summer, and one night at Rock Wall Wine Company likely doubled the number of Petite Sirahs I have now tasted. The event was packed full of wine lovers with purple teeth, as the varietal does not have color issues. The grape is different than the more commonly found Syrah, however, it was recently discovered that Petite Sirah is indeed a cross of Syrah and the obscure French grape, Peloursin.

Some Personal Favorites

As I wandered the aisles for any wine that caught my eye I found a few winners along the way. Tres Sabores out of Napa was my must try, as I had previously tasted their Zinfandel and loved it, and the Petite didn’t disappoint. It has a finesse to it most Petites tend to struggle to find. I felt the same way about another Napa wine with the 2008 example from Ballentine which reminded me more of Syrah than Petite with its more complex floral notes. For $25 this is one of the best values I’ve found from Napa from any varietal.

Some wines from the mostly unrespected Central Valley also left an impression, notably Silkwood Wines. I finished the night at the booth for Tercero, where the winemaker was serving up Santa Barbara County Petites, and his 2007 clearly shows that the area is capable of competing with the best from all over the state.

Come for the Food

The food vendors served up quite a spread which included many variations on pork, but my favorite pairing of the night was a raspberry cream-filled chocolate truffle.

The food which does not get along with Petite Sirah is baklava – be warned. Luckily the SanTasti booth was conveniently located for a few palate cleanses, a definite must when tasting dozens of any wine, especially one as dark and delicious as Petite Sirah.

A great event, well attended. Look forward to attending next year.

Cheers and thanks for reading Simple Hedonisms Wine Blog !

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