Labels:
Red Wines
Petit Verdot (pe-ti vehr-doh) is a minor red grape variety from the Bordeaux region of France. It has long been part of the varietal mix in Bordeaux but has probably never exceeded 5% of the total planting. The area planted in France decreased from 685 ha in 1958 to 338 ha by 1988, then underwent a minor revival to reach 380 ha by 1994. It is grown mainly on the left bank of the Gironde from Margaux to Saint-Estephe, and produces a highquality wine.
In Argentina two varieties are grown under the name Verdot: one is a clone of Malbec, the other is the true Petit Verdot. It is also planted in Chile, and there were 359 ha of Petit Verdot in California in 2002. In 2003 the total area harvested in Australia was 1337 ha, a rapid increase from less than 100 ha in 1998. There has been increasing interest in the variety, with some excellent wines produced.
