If you like intense, rich, full-throttle wines with plenty of tannins and alcohol, you should definitely try Petite Sirah if you haven't already. Members of our reds-only Premier Series are in for a treat this month with the Miro Cellars Petite Sirah, an outstanding example of Petite Sirah that blew away our wine panel.

You may be wondering about the name. Well, the French coined the term because of the size of the grapes, which tend to be small. It's also the offspring of a cross between Syrah and Peloursin that was developed in France in the late 19th Century by Dr. Francois Durif, although the Syrah link wasn't proven until DNA analysis in 1996. The grape was originally called "Durif" and that is still used as an alternate name.

A great site for Petite Sirah lovers to check out is www.psiloveyou.org, which is an advocacy group dedicated to increasing exposure and public awareness of this interesting varietal.