There are mysteries and conundrums to be found even in the wine industry; this one concerns the durif grape. The grape was discovered by François Durif, a botanist at the University of Montpellier, in France, who found the new grape variety at the experimental vineyard of the University. Durif, being the modest man he was, promptly named the variety after himself. The grape looked like a winner because it grew well and was disease resistant. Unfortunately, it made poor wine and was promptly discarded. Today, it is almost nonexistent in France, proving that the French are not the wine mavens they claim to be.
Somehow, some way, the variety wound up in California and by whatever magic, the vine extracted from the new world soil and climate, it grew well here and also made some really fine wines.
Another mystery is the name. Although the grape has been genetically proven to be the durif, somehow the variety became known by its local name, petite sirah, and the name stuck. It is also unknown why the grape made such poor wines in France, but here, in the good old US of A, it has become a rising star.
by Ben Bodenstein
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