Durif is a
variety of
red wine grape primarily grown in
Australia,
California,
France, and
Israel. Since the end of the 20th century, wineries located in
Washington's Yakima River Valley,
Maryland,
Arizona,
West Virginia,
Chile,
Mexico's
Baja Peninsula, and
Ontario's
Niagara Peninsula have also produced wines from Durif grapes. It is the main grape known in the U.S. and Israel as
Petite Sirah, with over 90% of the California plantings labeled "Petite Sirah" being Durif grapes; the
U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) recognizes "Durif" and "Petite Sirah" as synonyms for the same grape. It produces
tannic wines with a spicy, plummy flavour. The grape originated as a cross of
Syrah pollen germinating a
Peloursin plant. On some occasions, Peloursin and Syrah vines may be called Petite Sirah, usually because the varieties are extremely difficult to distinguish in old age.