Ep 390: The Grape Miniseries -- Petit Verdot

<p>Petit Verdot is often the secret weapon in a blend -- providing unique aromas and flavors plus acidity and tannin. In this show, we discuss this essential grape and the vital role it plays in wines around the world.</p> <p><strong>What is Petit Verdot?</strong></p> <ul> <li>The name means “little green one”, since it's hard to ripen, the berries remain green when other grapes are ready to harvest</li> <li>The grape is used in Bordeaux blends but sometimes made as a varietal wine</li> <li>Petit Verdot ripens later than other varieties and is used for tannin, color and flavor, gives structure to mid palate</li> </ul> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style= "display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src= "https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/show/45638/PVVAWineORG.jpg" alt= "" width="289" height="373" /><span style= "font-size: 8pt;"><em>Photo:</em> <em><a href= "https://www.virginiawine.org" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">Virginia Wine</a></em></span></p> <p><strong>Origins:</strong> Around in Bordeaux before Cabernet Sauvignon</p> <ul> <li>Could have been brought to Bordeaux by Romans</li> <li>Probably from Southwest France around the Pyrénées but gained recognition in the Médoc and Graves (on the Left Bank of Bordeaux)</li> <li>Plantings shrunk after phylloxera and the big 1956 frost in Bordeaux</li> <li>Petit Verdot was uprooted to be replaced in Bordeaux with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon</li> <li>Now – more being planted, can withstand heat and drought</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>The grape:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Small, thick-skinned berries that look almost black because of high anthocyanins -- lots of color and tannin!</li> <li>Early budding, late ripening -sometimes too late for the Bordeaux climate but that is changing (more similar to Cabernet Sauvignon than Merlot in the vineyards</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>In the vineyard:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Best on warm, well-drained, gravel-based soils </li> <li>Canopy management to maximize sun exposure is important</li> <li>If the weather d