List of Australian Durif Producers

While doing some research about the Durif / Petite Sirah grape I came across quite a few winery websites. This got me thinking perhaps it might be interesting to provide a list of all producers in Australia who grow Durif. Please let me know if I have missed any.

919 Wines (Riverland)
www.919wines.com.au

All Saints Estate (Rutherglen)
www.prbwines.com.au

Anderson Winery (Rutherglen)
www.andersonwinery.com.au

AT Richardson Wines (Grampians)
www.atrichardsonwines.com

Battely Wines (Beechworth)
www.battelywines.com.au

Beelgara Estate (Riverina)
www.beelgaraestate.com.au

Bellarine Estate (Geelong)
www.bellarineestate.com.au

Big Barrel Vineyard and Winery (Queensland Coastal)

Boyntons Feathertop (Alpine Valleys)
www.boynton.com.au

Brown Brothers (King Valley)
www.brownbrothers.com.au

Brumby Wines (Swan Hill)
www.brumbywines.com.au

Buffalo Mountain Wines
www.buffalomountainwines.com.au

Buller Calliope (Rutherglen)
www.buller.com.au

Calais Estate Hunter Valley
www.calaiswines.com.au

Campbells Wines (Rutherglen)
http://www.campbellswines.com.au/

Cape Horn Vineyard (Goulburn Valley)
www.capehornvineyard.com.au

Casella (Riverina)
http://www.casellawines.com.au/

Cassegrain Wines
www.cassegrainwines.com.au

Ciavarella (King Valley)

Cofield Wines (Rutherglen)
www.cofieldwines.com

Connor Park (Bendigo)
www.connorparkwinery.com.au

Currans Family Wines (Murray Darling)
www.curransfamilywines.com.au

Date Brothers (Swan Hill)
www.datebroswines.com.au

Dos Rios (Swan Hill)
www.dosrios.com.au

Drinkmoor Wines (Rutherglen)
www.drinkmoorwines.com/

Eumundi Winery (Queensland Coastal)

Flynns

Gapsted (Alpine Valleys)
www.victorianalpswinery.com.au

Gehrig Estate (Rutherglen)
www.gehrigestatewines.com.au

Golden Grove Estate
www.goldengrovee.com.au

Granite Belt Heritage Estate Granite Belt

Jaengenya Vineyard Goulburn Valley

John Gehrig Wines (King Valley)

Judds Warby Range Estate (Glenrowan)

Jones Winery & Vineyard (Rutherglen)
www.joneswinery.com

Kama Sutra Wines (Mudgee)
www.kamasutrawines.com.au

Kingston Estate (Riverland)
www.kingstonestatewines.com

Lake Moodemere (Rutherglen)
www.moodemerewines.com.au

Massena Wines (Barossa Valley)
http://www.massena.com.au/

Melange Wines (Riverina)

Michael Unwin Wines (Grampians)
http://www.michaelunwinwines.com.au/
Miranda Riverina
http://www.mirandawines.com.au/

Morris (Rutherglen)
http://www.morriswines.com/

Morrisons of Glenrowan
www.morrisonsofglenrowan.com

Mount Prior (Rutherglen)

Mudgee Wines Mudgee Murray River Wines (Murray River Region) www.murrayriverwines.com.au

Myattsfield Vineyard and Winery Perth Hills

New Glory Goulburn Valley

Normanby Wines Queensland Zone
www.normanbywines.com.au

Nugan Estate King Valley

Patrice Wines
www.patricewines.com.au

Pieter van Gent Wines ()
www.pvgwinery.com.au

Petersons Glenesk Estate (Mudgee)
www.petersonswines.com.au

Piako Vineyards (Murray Darling)

Piromit Wines (Riverina)
www.piromitwines.com.au

Pyren Vineyard (Pyrenees)
www.pyrenvineyard.com

Reedy Creek (Northern Slopes Zone)
www.reedycreekwines.com.au

Renewan (Swan Hill)

Riverina Estate Wines (Riverina)

Roland Kaval

Rothbury Ridge (Hunter Valley)
www.rothburyridgewines.com.au

Rusticana (Langhorne Creek)
www.rusticanawines.com.au

Rutherglen Estates (Rutherglen)
www.rutherglenestates.com.au

Sam Miranda Wines (King Valley)
www.sammirandawines.com.au

Scion Vineyard (Rutherglen)
www.scionvineyard.com

St Petrox (Hunter Valley)

Stanton and Killeen Wines (Rutherglen)
www.stantonandkilleenwines.com.au

Swan Hill

Tamburlaine Vineyard (Hunter Valley)
www.tamburlaine.com.au

Taminick Cellars (Glenrowan)
http://www.taminickcellars.com.au/

Tinonnee Vineyard (Hunter Valley)
www.tinoneewines.com.au

Toolleen Vineyard (Heathcote)
www.mttoolleen.com.au

Valhalla Wines (Rutherglen)
www.valhallawines.com.au

Vale Vineyard (Mornington Peninsula)
www.valewines.com.au

Vintara (Rutherglen)
www.vintara.com.au

Warburn Estate (Riverina)
www.warburnestate.com.au

Warrabilla Wines (Rutherglen)
www.warrabillawines.com.au

Watchbox Wines (Rutherglen)
www.watchboxwines.com.au

Wedgetail Ridge Estate (Darling Downs)
www.wedgetailridge.com.au

Westend Estate (Riverina)
www.westendestate.com.au

Wirruna Estate (North East Victoria)
www.wirrunawines.com

Yacca Paddock Vineyards (Adelaide Hills)
www.yaccapaddock.com

Yendah Vale

Petite Sirah aka Durif

Since the next Wine Blogging Wednesday theme is petite sirah i decided to do some research into the background of the Petite Sirah grape. Petite Sirah, Durif or pinot de l’hermitage, respectively if you are American, Australian, or French, is a grape producing wines of massive proportion. It is the only reasonably well-known grape variety to be named after a person, botanist Dr François Durif, who propagated it in the Rhone Valley in late 1800's. Interestingly, the Durif vine was not propagated from cuttings but originated from seed stemming from a Peloursin vine germinated by Syrah pollen.

The main reason for, and importance of, the development was that it demonstrated the resistance to downy mildew, a fungal disease that had been causing widespread damage to European vineyards in the 18th and 19th century. Whilest the grape showed resistance to downy mildew it was very susceptible to grey rot in areas where there is high humidity such as the Rhone Valley. As a result the French, however, were never charmed by the wine produced from the grape and today there is very little grown there.

While never quite taking off in France, Durif did take a hold in the United States (California) and Australia (Rutherglen). Today these two regions are still the primary producers of the Durif variety. Both regions are warm and dry, conditions in which the durif grape thrives without much threat from grey rot. The late 1800's saw much of the Vitis Vinifera planted in both the US and Victoria wiped out by the root louse phylloxera. It was at this time that Durif was introduced in both regions.

Exactly why Durif was introduced in either Australia and the US is unclear. I am inclined to think that, if not the introduction, then the spread of Durif was more often incidental than by design. In the US durif was called petite sirah, and the syrah petite syrah. The two Rhone varieties coexisted and were often mistaken for each other. The Prohibition saw the Durif became a favorite as it was tough and stood up well to cross-country shipping by rail.

On other hand in Rutherglen the gold rush taking place at the time possibly provided a ready market for the wines. Very little is known about why exactly durif grape found it's way there. As in the US it is highly probable that some of the spread can be attributed to the similarities in appearance between the Syrah and Durif vines certainly in old age. Even recently there has been much confusion between the syrah (Shiraz) and durif grapes. This is how Carmen vineyards came to grow Petite Sirah in Chile for example. There is no doubt that this also played a large role in the spread of durif (petite sirah) during the late 1800's and early 1900's.

Typically, the Durif grape produces monumental wines dense, impenetrable purple/black in colour with massive concentration, balanced by a massive palate normally laden with black fruits, licorice, chocolate and vanilla. And it doesn't end there as the the tannins are big, but soft and the alcohol high. Paradoxally it also has a soft side, allowing the wines to be enjoyed right away or cellared for 10+ years. Decanting wines these wines is absolutely essential in order to enjoy these wines at their best, as is a number of years cellaring.

Today the Durif is still not a widely grown grape although it is becoming more popular. In Australia its home is Rutherglen, and it rarely strays from here. Total tonnage for Durif in Australia was 5430 tonnes a mere 0.5% of the 1,023,006 tonnes of red wine grapes crushed in Australia in 2005. In terms of planting Durif covers 402 hectares of a total red planting of 98,112 hectares, just 0.4%). In the US California is home to Petite Sirah. The popularity of the grape is similar in the US (California to be more exact because it grows 90% of all wine grapes in the US) where in 2006 36,281 tonnes, 1.9% of the total red crush of 1,873,892 tonnes, was crushed. The grape accounts for 2640 hectares from a total of 119,003 hectares just 2% of total red wine grape vine.

Durif: a grape producing wines of massive proportion, but miniscule in production.

Sources:
www.nass.usda.gov
http://www.adelaideadvertiser.com.au/
http://www.sallys-place.com/
http://www.jancisrobinson.com/
http://www.rutherglenvic.com/
http://www.vinodiversity.com/
http://www.psiloveyou.org/
http://www.awbc.com.au/
http://www.carmen.com/

Wine Blogging Wednesday #39: Silver Burgundy

I initially intended this post for Wine Blogging Wednesday, an intiative started by Lenn Thompson. I forgot to submit the post in time but since I've written it I might as well post it. The theme of the month was silver burgundy meaning wines (white or red) from the Côte Chalonnaise or the Mâconnais regions, and was brought by brooklynguy.

In the first place I found it quite difficult to get hold of a Silver Burgundy, but eventually found a bourgogne offered by the cooperative Cave des Vignerons de Buxy. The wine is 100% pinot noir based and cost me €7.50 (roughly $11.00).

Here's my tasting note:

Colour: very clear and light cherry red in colour.
Nose: not a strong nose; red berry fruits with some barnyard-like aromas.
Palate: medium body with some red berry and cherry - quite spicey. tannins are smooth and soft. ends a little tart towards the finish. good balance. Not enough body for my liking.
Finish: finishes off with spicey cherry fruit.
Comments: I find this wine lacks some body and some fruit. It's quite thin but then I guess what do you expect for $10.00 I guess. Doesn't do anything for me.