A RED GRAPE
Petit Verdot
What Petit Verdot tastes like
Petit Verdot is a red grape that appears in 27 of the appellations in our table. Where it is grown at its best known, the style is described this way: powerful, structured Cabernet-dominant blends with black fruit, graphite and firm tannin; long-lived.
Where Petit Verdot grows
Our appellations table names Petit Verdot in 27 wine regions. The ones with the most wines in our database are Pauillac (France), Margaux (France), Saint-Julien (France), Saint-Estèphe (France), Bordeaux (France), Haut-Médoc (France), Bolgheri Sassicaia (Italy), Knights Valley (USA), St Julien (France), Médoc (France), St. Émilion (France) and Graves / Pessac-Léognan (France).
Petit Verdot is grown well beyond that list: 15 more appellations name it as a main grape, which is part of why one bottle can taste so different from the next.
How the place changes the glass
- Pauillac (France): Powerful, structured Cabernet-dominant blends with black fruit, graphite and firm tannin; long-lived. Climate: temperate maritime, moderated by the Atlantic and the Gironde estuary.
- Margaux (France): Structured, elegant Cabernet-based blends with cassis, cedar, and fine-grained tannins. Climate: temperate maritime.
- Saint-Julien (France): Classic, austere Cabernet-dominant blends with structured tannins, dark fruit, and cedar—intermediate in power between Pauillac and Margaux. Climate: warm maritime-influenced temperate.
- Saint-Estèphe (France): Structured, age-worthy reds with firm tannins and dark fruit characteristics. Climate: temperate maritime.
What to eat with Petit Verdot
- In Pauillac: Grilled beef steak, lamb chops, roast lamb, venison, mature hard cheeses.
- In Margaux: Prime rib, rack of lamb, venison, roast duck.
- In Saint-Julien: Lamb, beef bourguignon, venison, mature cheeses.
Petit Verdot on menus we hold
- Tart of Morel mushroom at Restaurant de l'Hôtel de Ville: paired with Pinot Noir Domaine des Petites Planètes (2023). Light as a thought, and just as hard to put down.
Petit Verdot in our cellar
The appellations above account for about 8,183 Petit Verdot wines in the Sommurai database, which is how we know which regions pour it most.
Grapes to try next
If you like Petit Verdot, these red grapes are worth a glass: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Grenache and Cabernet Franc.
Quick answers
Where is Petit Verdot grown?
Our appellations table names Petit Verdot in 27 wine regions, including Pauillac (France), Margaux (France), Saint-Julien (France), Saint-Estèphe (France) and Bordeaux (France).
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