Petite Sirah - what do you eat with it?

[Diane (Long Island)]

I don't have a lot of experience with this varietal. Does it need big, beefy food...and a lot of years in the cellar?

[Robin Garr]

Big, beefy food absolutely, Diane. PS is a funny wine regarding cellar time. It will often seem to remain unchanged for 10, even 20 years before it starts to evolve. Few people have that much patience, and I certainly don't, so I tend to drink it youngish but with roast beef/rare steak meals to mellow its tannins.

[Peter Gatti]

I've found that it goes brilliantly with cassoulet....assuming that one has the time, ingredients and patience to make an authentic version!

[Bernard Roth]

Venison, any which way.

[Ernie in Berkeley]

I find that PS is one of the few varietals that works with blue cheeses, especially softer ones like St. Augur.

[Sam Platt]

I personally think it matches well with simple corned beef.

[Bill Spohn]

Wild boar.

Raw.

[James Roscoe]

I know some wild bores but I wouldn't want to eat them.

[Diane (Long Island)]

It sounds like the types of foods I would ordinarily pair with a full bodied syrah.

[Jenise]

I find that PS is one of the few varietals that works with blue cheeses, especially softer ones like St. Augur.

Ernie, welcome to the group!

[Ernie in Berkeley]

Thanks. I used to post on the original board but somehow lost my way in the Netscape days.

[Mark Lipton]

I don't have a lot of experience with this varietal. Does it need big, beefy food...and a lot of years in the cellar?

Alas, it depends a lot on the style it's made in. Bogle's PS could be used as a BBQ or pizza wine, a lot like some Zins. OTOH, the "traditional" big, brooding style of PS is a wine made for big, brawny foods (wild boar, like Bill says, or a very savory stew). They probably wouldn't be bad with cassoulet, either, but I can't say that I've done the experiment.

Mark Lipton

[D. Updike]

I agree with Mark. The Bogle (or a wine like it) is jammy enough to have with things like pizza or BBQ. The Ridge 1999 York Creek I opened recently was fairly dark and smoky with traces of almost an anise flavor.
I had a recent vintage of Foppiano (2003 I think?) and that had the bright purple color like the Bogle but was REALLY tannic.

Most of the "bigger" Petite's like that are going to be pretty tannic---"toothdusting" some would say. So, something hearty and beefy would be a good match.

[Bill Spohn]

I've got some Turley PS that I'm a bit afraid of - not sure if they will EVER be ready.

Drank a Freemark York Creek at the age of 30 - was just about ready to drink (you can tell before you open as being able to see the sun through the bottle is a good sign).