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The Seattle Chapter of Women For WineSense
Invites You to Take a Look at
Durif (aka Petite Sirah)
Wednesday, March 21, 2018, 6:30pm
With Ray Bloom at North City Bistro
1520 NE 177th Street
Shoreline, Washington
Who: François Durif, French grape botanist and breeder.
What: In the 1870’s he used a seed from a Peloursin grape to create a new variety. The pollen was identified by DNA in 1997 as coming from Syrah.
When: In 1880 Druif released the new variety, naming it after himself.
Where: University of Montpellier in Southern France.
Why: Durif was experimenting with ways to make Syrah more resistant to powdery mildew.
In 1884 Charles McIver brought Petite Sirah to the US for his Linda Vista Vineyard in Alameda County California. When Phylloxera destroyed vineyards in the 1890’s, it was chosen as an experimental replacement for Mission grapes. It soon became a popular varietal, reaching 14,000 acres by 1976. Over the years, plantings fell to a low as 2,400 acres in the mid-90’s, but it has made a resurgence, coming in at over 17,000 as of 2016. The acreage of Petite Sirah in our state is a bit elusive, hidden somewhere in the “other reds” statistics. It is also grown in Australia, France, Chile, Israel, and even Mexico’s Baja Peninsula.
Petit Sirah is a big wine, with high tannins, medium acidity, and flavors of fruit such as blueberries, blackberries, and black cherry, plus black pepper, licorice, chocolate, and more. Pricing can range from very affordable, such as Bogle’s offerings, to high-end, such as Pride and Turley, with great options in between, including our own Dusted Valley. North City Bistro’s Ray Bloom has been hard at work finding us selections from different regions. Ray and Sheila’s bistro, wine shop and very busy live music venue features local, national, and international jazz and blues artists, and we are so glad he saves an evening for us once a year! He will be pairing the evening’s wines with a variety of small plates designed to showcase how very food-friendly this varietal with an attitude can be.
Menu Option One
Mini Cheese Plate
Spiced Lamb Skewers with Tzatziki Sauce & Sweet Pickled Carrots
Pork Adobo Sliders with Fries
Menu Option Two (Vegetarian)*
Mini Cheese Plate
Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan Sherry Cream
Fried Iraqi Dumpling with Goat Cheese, Kale, Onions & Red Pepper Sauce
Price for members is $60.00, and $70.00 for nonmembers.
*If you want Menu Option Two (Vegetarian), after you RSVP please email us at wwsseattle@yahoo.com to let us know. This option must be ordered in advance.
Please note the system charges a $3.00 processing fee for WWS nonmembers to pay by credit card. To RSVP & pay by check, email wwsseattle@yahoo.com to confirm, then mail your check (made out to Seattle Women For WineSense) to Sue Regan at PO Box 1514, Bothell, WA 98041. Your check must be received 3 days after your RSVP is made. After that time your space will be released. Please contact us with questions about the event, the website or method of payment at 425.882.1621. This event is nonrefundable after March 13th. Any refunds will be paid by check less a $5.00 processing fee.