Durif [dyoor-IF]
A red-wine grape grown in France’s Rhône region in the late nineteenth century and up to the middle of the twentieth century. Long-viewed as a rather common and minor variety, Durif is seldom found in French vineyards today. In the late 1990s, DNA analysis indicated that Durif was in fact a cross between Syrah and a variety called Peloursin. A vast majority of the variety called Petite Sirah in California is actually Durif. Durif is also known as Pinot de Romans and Pinot de l’Ermitage, although it’s not a member of the Pinot Noir family.
The New Wine Lovers Companion, 2nd Edition, by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Copyright © (1) 2003, 1995 by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational Series, Inc.