Durif
| Durif/Petite Sirah | |
|---|---|
| Grape (Vitis) | |
Durif, colour plate from Ampélographie. Traité général de viticulture, Tome II (1901) | |
| Species | Vitis vinifera |
| Also called | Duriff, Plant Durif, Plant Fourchu, Pinot de Romans and Pinot de l’Hermitage, Petit Syrah |
| Origin | Montpellier, France |
| Pedigree parent 1 | Syrah |
| Pedigree parent 2 | Peloursin Noir |
| Notable regions | Australia, California, France, Israel |
| Breeder | François Durif |
| Year of crossing | c. 1880 |
| VIVC number | 3738 |
Durif is a variety of red wine grape mainly grown in Australia, California, France, and Israel. Since the end of the 20th century, wineries located in Washington's Yakima River Valley, Maryland, Arizona, Texas, West Virginia, Chile, Mexico's Baja California Peninsula, and Ontario's Niagara Peninsula have also produced wines from Durif grapes. It is the primary grape known in the U.S. and Israel as Petite Sirah, with over 90% of the California plantings labeled "Petite Sirah" being Durif grapes. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) recognizes "Durif" and "Petite Sirah" as synonyms. The grape produces tannic wines with a spicy, plummy flavour. It originated from Syrah pollen germinating a Peloursin plant. On occasion, Peloursin and Syrah vines may both be called Petite Sirah, usually because the varieties are extremely difficult to distinguish in old age.