Your Guide to Drinking Durif & Why You Need More of It!
A lot of people are probably not familiar with the delicious vino that Durif turns into. So I thought it was about time I put together some info on this grape variety for you so that when you next come across a bottle of Durif wine you will know what it is, and you probably won’t be able to walk past it without grabbing a taste of it.
It is the perfect winter wine, which is why it made it into my top winter wines for 2022.
What is Durif?
Durif is a red grape variety which has also been called Petite Sirah or Petite Syrah. It’s actually a bit of a confusing matter as not all Petite Sirah and Petite Syrah historically has in fact been Durif. I’d recommend having a read of the Durif Wikipedia page to get a more info on this topic.
It originates from the Rhone Valley in France and is grown in the USA, Australia and Israel. Plus in a few other countries on a smaller scale like in Chile and Brazil.
Durif is the son of Shiraz/Syrah (yes these 2 words describe the same grape) and a rare black grape called Peloursin which originates from the South West of France. It was French botanist François Durif who came across the cross-pollination of these 2 vines and a few years later it was identified and named after Doctor Durif.
What is Durif wine like?
The dominant flavours in Durif according to Wine Folly’s Essential Guide to Wine book are; plum, blueberries, dark chocolate, black pepper and black tea. It’s full-bodied, robust, tannic and high in alcohol (typically around 14-15% abv).
In cool climate regions, there’ll be a lot of black cherry and plum flavours, while warmer climate Durif’s will lean more towards the blackberry and prune flavours.
Durif produces a dark, sometimes opaque red wine which is high in tannins and because of its deepness, it actually has 2-3 times more anthocyanin ( aka antioxidants) in it than lighter red wines. So yes, if you’re thinking what I’m thinking, then Durif is a must in any healthy diet!
Is Durif blended with other grapes?
Yes, it is! Daniel Pinelli from Pinelli Estate in Perth’s Swan Valley, said that his first experiment with Durif was a blend of Shiraz and Durif (the Durif was a very small component). In California, it is also sometimes blended into Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel to add further body to the desired wine.
How do you pronounce Durif?
I think for a lot of the not so well-known grapes, a lot of people are put off asking or ordering them because they’re afraid they’ll sound silly. Don’t! Durif is definitely worth ordering, even if you think you sound silly saying it. However, here’s some help… Duh-rhif
What food pairs best with Durif?
Last night I enjoyed a glass of Pinelli’s 2016 Durif (insanely good, and I heard through the grapevine that soon Pinelli will be releasing approximately 300 special edition magnums to help celebrate Dominic Pinelli being award the Swan Valley Icon award at the 2017 Swan Valley Wine Show) with ‘beef cheeks chasseur’ (bacon, mushroom, carrot, onion sauce) with grain mustard mash potato – a totally winning combination!
Durif will also go well with:
- Braised meats
- BBQ food
- Casseroles and stews
- Meaty pasta dishes
- Roast beef
- Full flavoured mature cheeses such as blue and goats cheeses
How long can you cellar Durif for?
After chatting to winemaker, Daniel Pinelli, last night who has been growing Durif for about 10 years now – he suggested that Durif ages typically for about 5-10 years. However, when made in stellar vintages, it can last 20 years or more.
If you’re keen to cellar some Durif, then it would be best to chat to the winery or winemaker of the specific Durif to find out what it’s length of life will be.
Wineries producing Durif:
There are a number of wineries throughout Aussie producing Durif, some Durif producing wineries in Western Australia are:
- Faber Vineyard (Swan Valley)
- Olive Farm Wines (Swan Valley)
- Pinelli Estate (Swan Valley)
- Mandalay Road Wines (Geographe)
- MyattsField Vineyard (Perth Hills)
Over east, Rutherglen in Victoria is well-known for their Durif’s alongside the Riverina and Riverland regions. For more details on Durif in Australia, I’d recommend heading over to Vinodiversity by Darby Higgs.
You can also look to buy Durif online (please note some of these links are affiliate links):
Pinelli Estate Durif
Pinelli Estate was one of the pioneers in the Swan Valley to grow Durif, so if you’re after more information on the variety or want to try a good one, then I suggest you head to their cellar door in Caversham ASAP if you are in Perth.
They are also the winery that got me hooked on this variety.
At a Pinelli event, I wrote some brief notes from the vertical tasting we did. 2012, 14 and 16 all stood out for me in particular:
2016 Durif
Deep dark garnet
Smokey, leafy, dark berries
Tannin, long finish, curvy, dark chocolate
2015 Durif
Garnet
Vanilla spiced blackberries
More closed than the 16
2014 Durif
Deeper garnet, velvet plum
Earthy, intoxicating, black fruits
Elegant tannins, blackberries, black boy plums, soft yet full of flavour ?
2013 Durif
Garnet
Mushroom, truffle, meaty yet fruity, savoury
Juicy, black cherries and plums, apparent tannins, chewy tannins
2012 Durif
Deep red garnet
Earthy/savoury, intoxicating, plummy
Smooth, plum, delicious!
Do you have a favourite Durif? If so please let us know below!
I completely agree, Durif is fantastic and you can find more and more of it these days which is brilliant!
Seek and tired of Shiraz all around I picked up a bottle of Duriff in Aldi some years ago. I knew nothing about it and chose it because of the colour. Inky dark, “this cannot disappoint” I thought to myself.
And I was right! It was love from the first glass.
I was surprised to find out that it one of those lesser known wines. Definitely not a mainstream. But doesn’t really matter. It’s a gem nevertheless.
Yes they definitely do! Thanks for highlighting Michael 🙂
Calabria Wines (Griffith, NSW) make a great Duriff.
Sounds like you’ve found a winner Alan!
I love de Bortoli Deen Cheap and wonderful I’m now on 2017 vintage but was able to purchase 2016 until August this year
So glad to hear you’ve discovered the wonderful world of Durif Mick! I hope you get the chance to try some of the above, you’ll be a Durif addict (in a good way, not an AA way!) before you know it!!
Hi Casey,
Thank you for the excellent write up on Durif wines. My own adventure with this variety began when I discovered this (a bottle of Gossips Durif) purely by chance at my local Dan Murphy’s one evening after work. I’ll admit that I was initially drawn to it because of the price, but much to my surprise, the experience far exceeded my (very low) expectations. I’d be keen to try the others from the aforementioned vineyards now, thanks to the list you’ve provided. Cheers!