Did you know that Petit Verdot grape variety has been traditionally used to give aroma, colour, tannins and acidity to blended red wines? The stock has an unknown origin, although it is believed to come from the Bordeaux region in France. It is mainly combined with the Cabernet Sauvignon in proportions below 10%. The Petit Verdot is the one that grants the dark red colour to the highly appreciated Bordeaux wines. That is the only area in France where it is grown, since it is a grape that ripens later than others do and, therefore, it does not have an optimal development in any terroir. In Argentina, for example, the Petit Verdot has successfully bloomed since the country’s climate conditions allow it to complete the ripening process without being affected by frosts. It is also grown in Spain, Chile, California, Australia and New Zealand. In Argentina, this variety is mainly used for assemblage wines, although it is here combined with the Malbec –the star grape in the country. However, some wineries within the Luján de Cuyo subregion have decided to produce varietal Petit Verdot wines (with just one grape variety). The result is the creation of intense, oily, meaty wines with red fruit, banana and graphite aromas as well as with a bright red colour with violet hints. The Petit Verdot varietal wines are expensive, since, they have to be aged for years in a bottle before they are considered high-quality wines. By means of Argento’s blog, The Real Argentina, discover the qualities of the Petit Verdot wines, as well as the places and restaurants where you will be able to enjoy its flavour and aromas along with the dishes which it is best paired with. Besides, you can also know what some of the best Argentine sommeliers think about the Petit Verdot variety and its increasingly popular use for monovarietal wines. As it is an intense wine, the Petit Verdot combines very well with red meat, game, poultry stews and strong-flavoured cheeses, as the gorgonzola or the harvati. The optimal temperature for a Petit Verdot wine to be served ranges between 14 and 16 degrees.
When Luigi Bosca, a top wine producer from Mendoza, made his first appearance at the London Wine Fair in 1993 people shuffled up to his stand, looking curious. “Does Argentina actually make wine!?” How times have changed…