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Durif is the biggest, darkest, most unapologetic red grape in Australia, and Rutherglen in north-east Victoria has made it a local religion. It was bred in France in the 1860s by a botanist named François Durif, who crossed Syrah with an obscure grape called Peloursin, and France promptly lost interest. California adopted it as Petite Sirah. Rutherglen adopted it as Durif, and has never looked back.
If Shiraz is a big red, Durif is its heavyweight cousin who works the door. Inky black, huge in tannin, packed with blackberry and chocolate, and built to sit in a cellar for twenty years or stand up to the largest steak on the menu. Subtle it is not. Delicious it is.
Table of Contents
What Does Durif Taste Like?
Blackberry, blueberry, black plum and mulberry, with dark chocolate, liquorice, black pepper, mocha and, in Rutherglen, a distinctive eucalyptus and mint edge. It is opaque purple-black, full-bodied to the point of chewy, high in tannin and alcohol, and moderate in acid. Age brings leather, dried fruit and cigar box.
| Aspect | Rating out of 5 | Characteristic |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetness | 🍷 | Dry, in a bottle the colour of midnight |
| Body | 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷 | Full, dense and chewy, the heavyweight |
| Tannins | 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷 | Huge, a firm handshake that lasts |
| Acidity | 🍷🍷🍷 | Moderate, enough to keep it upright |
| Alcohol by Volume | 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷 | High, often 14.5–15.5% |
Each wine glass icon is one point on a 5-point scale: one glass is low, five is high, based on the grape’s typical style.
Where It Grows
California has the most, as Petite Sirah, in Napa, Sonoma, Lodi and Paso Robles, where old vines make prized bottles. France has almost none left. Israel, Mexico and Chile grow small amounts.
Australia is its other true home. Rutherglen has grown Durif since the early 1900s, when it was prized for fortified wine and for beefing up thin reds, and the region’s Durif is now its flagship dry red. The Riverina and Riverland grow it in volume, and the Barossa, McLaren Vale and Heathcote make big, polished versions. Nowhere else calls it Durif with such pride.
How to Serve It
Temperature: 16–18°C. Any warmer and the alcohol shouts.
Glass: the biggest Bordeaux bowl you own; see the glasses roundup.
Decanting: non-negotiable for young Durif. Two hours in a decanter, or a run through an aerator if you are impatient.
Ageing: superb. Rutherglen Durif improves for ten to twenty years, and top bottles go longer.
What to Eat With It
Steak, the bigger the better. Slow-cooked beef ribs, lamb shanks, venison, barbecued sausages and bacon-wrapped anything. It handles meatloaf and hearty stews, and dark chocolate at the end. Nothing delicate need apply. More in the pairing guides.
Celebrated Wine Labels
| Wine Label | Country | Style |
|---|---|---|
| Morris of Rutherglen | Australia | Rutherglen Durif since the early 1900s |
| Campbells | Australia | Rutherglen “Bobbie Burns” region stalwarts |
| De Bortoli | Australia | Riverina, Deen Vat 1 Durif is a classic |
| Stags’ Leap Winery | USA | Napa Petite Sirah royalty |
| Turley | USA | California old-vine Petite Sirah, cult status |
Can’t Find One? Drink This Instead
Honesty corner: our partner shop had no Durif in stock when we checked. The closest match is a big Barossa Shiraz, which is Durif’s parent grape and shares its dark fruit, chocolate and love of a steak.
Murray Street Wines Gomersal Estate Barossa Shiraz 2020
Not Durif, but a serious Barossa Shiraz is the closest relative on the shelf. When a Rutherglen Durif lands in stock, it takes this spot.
- Big, dark and chocolatey, the same job Durif does with a steak
- Single-estate Barossa fruit with a few years of age
- Durif's parent grape, so the family resemblance is real
- Fair price for an estate Shiraz
- Softer and more peppery than Durif; less of a tannin wall
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Durif the same as Petite Sirah?
Yes. Same grape, two names. Australia says Durif after the French botanist who bred it; California says Petite Sirah. DNA testing confirmed they are identical.
Is Durif similar to Shiraz?
It is Shiraz’s child, crossed with Peloursin, so yes: darker, bigger, more tannic and less peppery than its parent. Read our Shiraz guide for the comparison.
Why is Rutherglen famous for Durif?
It was planted there in the early 1900s and thrived in the hot, dry climate. Rutherglen winemakers kept it through the fortified era and made it the region’s signature dry red.
How long can you cellar Durif?
Ten to twenty years for good Rutherglen bottles, and longer for the best. Its tannin and colour are natural preservatives.
What food goes with Durif?
Red meat, plain and simple: steak, ribs, lamb shanks and barbecue. Dark chocolate works for dessert.
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