Food & Wine Pairing
Petit Sirah and Food Pairing
Ingredients and Styles
Petite Sirah's bold personality makes it relatively straightforward to pair with food. The grape craves big red-wine fare: meat, meat, and more meat. From slow-cooked brisket to smoked sausages, rich braises and stews, and charcoal-grilled steaks, dishes for carnivores will nearly always please the Petite Sirah drinker. Boldly flavored meats are especially good, from Mongolian barbecue to tandoori lamb kebabs, as are dishes that can pick up on the grape's peppery character and ripe fruit. A coconut curry that's neither too sweet nor too hot, and slow-smoked southern pork shoulder that's peppery but not flamethrower-hot are all superb with Petite Sirah. Burgers, pot roast, even meatloaf can find a happy dining partner among modern interpretations of the grape.
Game and strong-flavored meat dishes pair especially well with this variety, as do many strongly- flavored Asian grilled dishes, Mexican and Latin-American moles and asados, North African couscous and grilled lamb mechoui. Petite Sirah with a ripe-fruit profile can also pair well with a surprisingly wide range of cheeses, including mild blue-veined offerings. Some of the wines can come off as sweet, so they can work with cheeses when drier versions do not. Finally, modern, round styles can pair with some bitter chocolate preparations: not only Mexican mole but also dark-chocolate desserts that are not overly sweet.
| Wine Style | Ingredients | Cuisines + Cooking Methods |
|---|---|---|
| Old vine Petite Sirah (less fruit-forward, more elegant, medium to medium-plus body, with structure for aging) | Smoked sausages Green and black peppercorn, anise, marjoram, oregano, laurel, thyme, sage, rosemary |
Medium-weight stews, such as slow-cooked brisket Incorporate green and black peppercorn, anise, marjoram, oregano, laurel, thyme, sage, rosemary in the preparation to bridge to the wine |
| Modern, round style (dry to just off-dry, ripe fruit, full-bodied) | Boldly flavored meats such as lamb and game Some sweet ingredients: a touch of coconut milk, sweetened ketchup, molasses, dried fruit Wide range of cheeses, including mild blue-veined offerings Bitter chocolate, coffee |
Mongolian barbecue, tandoori lamb kebabs, Mexican and Latin American moles and asados, and North African couscous. Dishes with a hint of sweet, such as coconut curry, slow-smoked southern pork shoulder Very dark, bitter chocolate desserts made with 90% cocoa or some coffee |
| Dessert (port style) | Chocolate Nuts Dried fruit Nutmeg, clove, cinnamon |
Dark chocolate desserts that are less sweet than the wine Fruitcake |
Methods of Cooking
Cooking Methods and Ingredients
Though these wines still offer plenty of fruit, they are balanced by vegetable (green and black peppercorn, anise), herbal/floral (such as marjoram, oregano, laurel, thyme, sage, rosemary ) and earth notes. When preparing your meat dishes add some of those ingredients in your preparation to bridge to the wine. Also remember to pair the “weight” of the wine, probably a medium-plus in weight, with the food.
Wine Profile
Dry to just off-dry, ripe fruit, full-bodied
Cooking Methods and Ingredients
The robust palate means the wine won’t be overwhelmed by thicker dishes, such as rich stews. Bold fruit can take boldly flavored meats such as Mongolian barbecue or tandoori lamb kebabs. These dishes also play on the often peppery character of the wine. The wine may have a hint of sweetness, so how about a coconut curry or a slow-smoked southern pork shoulder? Just remember to tone down the heat on these dishes as the high alcohol in the wine will likely bring that “hotness” to unpleasant, searing levels. Of course, rustic Petite Sirah is perfect with homey staples: burgers, pot roast, and meatloaf.
Wine Profile
Rich, lots of fruit, moderate tannin
Cooking Methods and Ingredients
Chocolate or nut-based desserts are always winners, but keep in mind that the dessert must not be sweeter than the wine. The rich fruit of the wine would also be ideal with fruitcake.
Pairing Pointers
Petit Sirah works well:
- With meat. From burgers to steaks, shish kebab to short ribs, Petite Sirah handles most red meats well. Treatments with a sweet edge, like American barbecue or Japanese teriyaki, are especially good with ripe and round styles of the wine. The more austere, old-school styles work better with classic grilled and roasted fare.
- Thick stews, braises, and hearty meals in a bowl. If you want a wine to pair with a rich French cassoulet, American bean and beef chili, Mexican chili verde or Brazilian feijoada, this is it. Gauge the body of the wine and match the weight of the dish to that. Since most Petite Sirahs range between medium-full and full-bodied, the dishes served should also be on the full side.
- Barbecue. Yum! Petite Sirah works with all styles, especially mustard-based from Georgia and the Carolinas, and molasses-based from Kansas City and Oklahoma. When the barbecue style leans toward sweet (as in Texas), a modern, ripe version of the wine is better than the big, tannic examples.
- Slightly spicy foods. These work specifically with the modern interpretation of the wine: juicy, with vivid fruit and minimal tannins. Many southwestern American dishes and mildly spicy Asian preparations are lovely with a lightly chilled Petite Sirah, as are sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, and most other picnic fare.
- Many cheeses. This is a bit of a surprise, given the larger-than-life personality of Petite Sirah, but its ripe fruit and sweetish tones give it the flexibility to pair with anything from mild blues to semi-hard cheeses. Port-like sweeter versions with moderate tannins can even hold their own with some boldly flavored runny cheeses.
Petit Sirah does not work
- By itself. As with many powerhouse reds, there's no pleasure in drinking Petite Sirah without something to munch on.
- With fiery-hot food. This combination can actually be painful in the mouth, given the tannin and alcohol content of most Petite Sirahs
- With delicate food. It's simply not fair to the food to be overshadowed by such a bold personality.
- With most fish, It's too tannic, too powerful, too much. And the fuller the wine, the more difficult the match.
- When it's too old. This is a matter of opinion, but most people consider Petite Sirah at its best when it's flavor-packed, young, and explosive. An aged Petite Sirah will react very differently with food, more like an aged Zinfandel or Syrah.