Petit Verdot

Sprinkled in small doses or standing on its own, there's nothing petite about the flavor of this bold grape

I think of Petit Verdot as the onion of the wine world. Most of the time you’ll find it in small amounts, shoring up the flavors of other grapes, providing that little extra something something to a blend. On its own, it can come off as a bit abrasive, and not everyone loves it. I detest raw onion; if I happen upon a piece, I can taste nothing but its acrid bite for days. I have a not dissimilar reaction to unripe Petit Verdot, which tastes like a mouthful of stem with a side of desiccated sage. But done right, behold: the irresistible onion blossom, the craveable French onion soup, the shockingly delectable roasted onion…and the perfect Petit Verdot.

Photo by Tolga Ahmetler on Unsplash

The name Petit Verdot means “little green one,” and the berries are fairly small, but only green if you pick them before they’re ripe. Because they are late to ripen, that did apparently happen with some frequency in Bordeaux back in the day, which is why Petit Verdot was only used in minimal amounts in blends with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. In these blends, it acts essentially as a seasoning - onion, or pepper perhaps - bringing tannin structure, dark and vibrant color, and floral and herbaceous notes to the party.

On its own, Petit Verdot produces a full-bodied, high tannin wine dominated by black cherry, plum, sage, licorice, and florals like violet and lilac. Even when fully ripened, it can be a little rustic, smoky, and meaty, or have earthy mushroom and aged cheese notes. It can also be quite mineral, and my favorites tend to have a gravelly edge.

It’s still pretty rare to find Petit Verdot as a single varietal wine, but good examples are being made in Australia, Spain, Chile, and Italy. I haven’t had access to many quality wines from Israel or Palestine, but I have heard that Petit Verdot is being produced there to great results. Here in the U.S., I had an excellent one last week from Pope Valley Winery, and although I generally don’t care for Michael David wines, the Petit Verdot from Inkblot is pretty delicious (but high ABV, so drink with care!).

Because these wines are quite tannic, they can age well, and often benefit from decanting. I usually advocate for serving red wines a little cooler than room temperature, but a chill can make the tannins feel more aggressive in this case, so go ahead and let it come to room temp and get some oxygen exposure. Smoked or spiced meats are a perfect pairing for Petit Verdot: barbecue, sausage, meat with mole sauce, or bulgogi. I have a hard time imagining it with vegetarian dishes because it is so meaty in and of itself, but it is great with hard cheese, and an amped up pot of well-spiced black beans would be tasty. Cheers!