11.   For many years, petite sirah was thought to be a version of syrah, the principal grape of the northern Rhone Valley and of Australia.

12.   Highly regarded wineries like Turley Cellars and La Jota make tiny lots of excellent petite sirah.

13.   In California, petite sirah often played a similar role.

14.   It is time to stand up for petite sirah.

15.   Now, genetic analysis reveals that the petite sirah is in fact a cross between the Rhone syrah and a different obscure French grape, the peloursin.

16.   Often, growers who thought they had been producing syrah discovered it to be petite sirah when they did scientific testing.

17.   Once, there was cabernet sauvignon and zinfandel, with a bit of barbera, a little petite sirah and some carignane.

18.   Petite sirah and alicante bouschet have been blended in to add a bit of spice and complexity.

19.   Petite sirah can be all those things, but it has never really caught on.

20.   Petite sirah, which has no connection to syrah, has been well known in California for decades.