Concannon Vineyard was founded in 1883 by James Concannon and is considered America’s first successful Irish-American winery. The winery has had many firsts, including being the first winery to varietally label Petite Sirah in 1961. On Central Coast Wine Day Part Deux, May 31, 2013, I sipped a bit of this history.
The 2009 Concannon Vineyard Conservancy Petite Sirah, Livermore Valley, is a great buy at around $15.00 to $18.00. My bottle was a media sample provided to me by Diaz Communications. It is named Conservancy because the grapes are grown on land protected forever from future development by legal trust.
I found the wine to be very enjoyable. It is definitely Petite Sirah, but it has a little less body than other examples of the variety, which makes it very easy to sip in spite of its boldness. It has intense aromas and flavors of blackberry, black cherry, blackcurrant, blueberry, plum, cocoa, and mocha. Suggested food pairings are barbecue brisket, barbecue chicken, blue cheese, cured meats, lamb, and steak, which makes it a perfect red wine for this summer’s cookouts and picnics.
Concannon Vineyards currently sells 14 offerings of Petite Sirah, which can be purchased online here.
Love that flavor profile.
Me, too! Cheers!