What is Petit Verdot?
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Dear Dr. Vinny,
What is Petit Verdot?
—Orlando, Chile
Dear Orlando,
Petit Verdot is a red wine grape. It’s perhaps best-known as one of the grapes permitted in France’s Bordeaux region. There—as in most parts of the world—it’s typically considered a blending grape, used in small amounts. Adding Petit Verdot helps deepen color and introduces dark fruit flavors and floral and herbal aromas.
I’ve tasted some 100 percent Petit Verdot wines, and they can be very intriguing. They’re typically inky and tannic, but with lovely violet aromas.
—Dr. Vinny
