Petite Sirah Food Pairing

Petite Sirah, neither ‘Petite’ nor ‘Syrah’, is a grape that produces inky-purple wines with full body, high tannins and high acidity. On the nose, heady aromas of juicy blueberries, rich dark chocolate and spicy black pepper intoxicate your senses.

First originating from France, Petite Sirah is now grown all around the world; particularly prominent in California, Australia and Israel. Though it is a widespread variety, it is still considered particularly rare, with only 10,000 acres planted worldwide (which is very small when you compare it to more well-known varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, which totals around a whopping 840,000 acres!)

Despite the small but mighty grape producing wines of hearty structure, it is one that can lose too much of its fruity character with aging, and is therefore best consumed within the decade. However, as with most wines, particularly outstanding examples have the ability to age elegantly for upwards of 20 years.

When pairing Petite Sirah with food, one must consider the tannins in the glass. Bitterness and astringency, roughing the taste buds on your tongue, can become velvety and smooth when paired with rich, fatty foods. Think a big bold red wine with a juicy ribeye steak; the rich fat coats your mouth like a blanket and the wine cuts through this, cleansing your palate with each bite.

So, you’ve just spent $30 on a bottle of Petite Sirah, now we must inform you that what you cook for dinner can make or break this bottle… seriously! But fear not – below are some examples that will not disappoint.

Meat That Pairs Well With Petite Sirah

Ribeye Steak

As bold as the bottle; most meats will pair well with Petite Sirah, however, a Ribeye Steak stands out due to its beautiful marbling of fat that can coax the wine into softening its tannins and brightening its fruity character. Go on, bring a bottle of Petite Sirah to your next BBQ – I dare you!

Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder

A spice adorned pork shoulder, cooked on a low heat in the oven until it’s falling apart – 6,7,8 hours… is your mouth watering yet? The fatty flavourful pork coated in aromatic spices provides a perfect taste profile to bring out the black pepper kick in the wine.

Pasta alla Carbonara

Ok, so let’s just get one thing straight – there are only 6 ingredients in Carbonara; egg, Pecorino Romano, guanciale, black pepper and pasta. Any more, any less, it is not Carbonara. Ask the Italians and they’ll tell you! Or, for your own safety, maybe don’t… The rich egg yolks, the sharp Pecorino, spicy black pepper and porky, buttery guanciale, create something not just of excellence, but also a stand-up example of a perfect pairing with Petite Sirah.

Cheese That Pairs Well With Petite Sirah

Aged / Smoked Cheese

The stinkier the better! Think blue veined Gorgonzola, heady Camembert and smoked Scamorza. The hardy structure of Petite Sirah cuts through the creaminess of the cheese and the bold fruit character contends with the ‘funk’ we all know and love.

Other Cheeses

Some of our other recommendations for cheese to pair with Petite Sirah are Camembert, Mozzarella, Scamorza and Swiss Cheese.

Appetizers That Pair Well With Petite Sirah

Some of our favorite appetizers to eat with Petite Sirah are pizza rolls, marinated olives, twice baked potatoes, and chips and dip (especially strong flavored dips).

Vegetarian Dishes That Pair Well With Petite Sirah

70%+ Dark Chocolate

Enhance the bitter-sweet cocoa flavors of Petite Sirah with a few squares of a high quality bar of dark chocolate. The darker the better. A beautiful end to a meal or mid-afternoon pick-me-up!

Sauteed Mushrooms

In a pan, sautee up your mushrooms of choice in some butter with a sprinkling of garlic and thyme. A perfect Fall side dish with a glass of Petite Sirah. The dark fruits stand up to the earthy, umami character, creating a plethora of flavors enveloping your palate.

Meatless Chili

This soup can be made with only beans and no meat. But the soup (with or without meat) can still pack a flavorful punch and hold up to the boldness of Petite Sirah. The smokiness that is sometimes found in chili also can bring out interesting notes of the wine too.

Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant is a wonderful vegetarian dish to eat with red wine. We really enjoy eggplant parmesan, which has enough boldness in the dish to stand up to the strong flavors in Petit Sirah.

Herbs That Pair Well With Petite Sirah

Some of our favorite herbs that enhance Petite Sirah are allspice, cloves, cinnamon, chili pepper, and cocoa.

Food That Does Not Pair Well With Petite Sirah

Like most bold red wines, lighter dishes are not recommended to eat with Petite Sirah. The wine will overpower the dish. Lighter seafood is a great example of this.

Blue cheese can also overpower the fragrance of the wine, so we don’t recommend that either.