F.A.Q.
Frequently Asked QuestionsWhere did the name of this organization come from?
After the Symposium, a questionnaire went to all the attendees asking, “If there was a group called P.S. I Love You for Pet growers and producers, would you join?” The answer was a resounding, “Yes.” Foppiano Vineyards bought the domain name, www.psiloveyou.org, Rosenblum Cellars paid the Webmaster, and the membership grew enthusiastically by leaps and bounds the first year.
Is Petite Sirah a hybrid?
Like every Vitis vinifera grape variety we’ve looked at so far, PS has as its parents two other varieties of Vitis vinifera. Some examples are:
- Cabernet Sauvignon — its parents are Cabernet franc and Sauvignon
blanc - Chardonnay — its parents are Pinot and Gouais blanc
- Syrah — its parents are Dureza and Mondeuse blanche
- Petite Sirah — its parents are Peloursin and Syrah
In scientific circles, one might use the term “hybrid” to describe any of the above varieties, because each is the offspring of two parents. But in wine writing, the term should be avoided, because it refers to varieties whose parents are not pure Vitis vinifera.
What was Durif’s first name?
François Durif. According to the late famed president of the International Gourmet Society and a member of some 66 wine-tasting societies around the world, Roy Andries de Groot* has said of François Durif, “In the 19th century, the vine was brought to the United States, but, as with the Gamay Beaujolais, the planting and development have been burdened by mistakes and misunderstandings caused by inefficient labeling and record keeping. The Syrah has become mixed up with a second vine type from the Rhone-a variety that began to be planted in the valley of the great river around 1880-a common grape with none of the superb qualities of Syrah. This lesser grape was developed by a French amateur botanist, Dr. François Durif, so the vine was given his name. (Today, members of PS I Love You would gladly take issue with de Groot’s opinions; however, for our purposes, his exact words hold some truths, and are worth repeating here.)
*Roy Andries de Groot, The Wines of California, The Pacific Northwest
& New York, Summit Books, , New York, 1982, pp. 154 – 155.
Is it one “f” or two, in the name Durif?
What is the difference in Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Shiraz?
According to Dr. Carole Meredith of the University of California – Davis, “Petite Sirah is the offspring of Syrah. Every grape variety has two parents. In the case of Petite Sirah, those two parents are Syrah and Peloursin. That means that half of the genetic makeup of Petite Sirah came directly from Syrah. Syrah is the father of Petite Sirah in the true genetic sense. Syrah and Shiraz are synonyms.”
Why is it sometimes written Petite Syrah and sometimes written Petite Sirah.
According to the late Roy Andries de Groot, “Perhaps in California… They decided to give it a new name, including a French word for prestige, and something a bit easier to spell than Syrah. Both requirements were met by calling the new American vine Petite Sirah.”*
**Roy Andries de Groot, The Wines of California, The Pacific Northwest
& New York, Summit Books, , New York, 1982, pp. 155.
PS I LOVE YOU
PLATINUM SPONSOR
