Petit Verdot: taste, styles and the dishes that match
17 styles and 378 dish scores from our sommelier database
From easy weekday bottle to cellar-worthy wine: Petit Verdot has many faces. We unpack the taste profile with Wine DNA axes and show the dishes where this red grape demonstrably scores — starting with .
Taste profile (Wine DNA)
Averaged across the styles in our database, Petit Verdot shows fresh acidity, is medium-bodied and exuberantly fruity, with soft tannins.
Well-known Petit Verdot styles
- Malbec and Petit Verdot · Portugal — full-bodied, pronounced freshness, firm tannins, generous oak ageing
Modern style red wines from two grape varieties originating from Bordeaux. - Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur · Bordeaux — medium-bodied, fresh acidity, soft tannins
Entry to mid market level of fruity red wines from cabernet sauvignon and merlot based blends with light tannins. - Petits Bordeaux · Bordeaux — medium-bodied, fresh acidity, soft tannins
Côtes de Bordeaux Cadillac, Castillion, Francs, Côtes de Bordeaux St. - Haut-Médoc · Haut-Médoc — full-bodied, fresh acidity, soft tannins, subtle oak notes
Premium quality Haut-Médoc from all appellations: Haut-Médoc, St. - Médoc · Médoc (Bas-Médoc) — full-bodied, fresh acidity, soft tannins, subtle oak notes
Red Bordeaux from a blend of cabernet-sauvignon, cabernet-franc and merlot grape vareties. - Moulis and Listrac · Haut-Médoc — full-bodied, fresh acidity, soft tannins, subtle oak notes
Moulis-en-Médoc and Listrac.
Price-wise Petit Verdot covers the full range: of the 17 styles in our database, 24% sit in the entry segment, 59% mid-range and 18% at the top end. You will find both a weekday bottle and a cellar-worthy wine in this grape.
The best-scoring dishes with Petit Verdot
The dishes below come from our expert scoring: every combination was scored by sommeliers using the Wine DNA of both dish and wine. These are the strongest matches for Petit Verdot styles, from classic to surprising.
- — best style: Haut-Médoc
- — best style: Médoc
- — best style: Margaux Grand Cru Classé
- — best style: Margaux Grand Cru Classé
- — best style: Pauillac Grand Cru Classé
- — best style: Médoc
- — best style: Margaux Grand Cru Classé
- — best style: Pauillac Grand Cru Classé
- — best style: Pauillac Grand Cru Classé
- — best style: Haut-Médoc
- — best style: Haut-Médoc
- — best style: Médoc
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Frequently asked questions
- What does Petit Verdot taste like?
- Averaged across the styles in our database, Petit Verdot shows fresh acidity, is medium-bodied and exuberantly fruity, with soft tannins. It varies by style: see the overview above.
- What food goes with Petit Verdot?
- The highest scores in our sommelier work: , Roasted Thick skirt, Gravy, Boiled Polenta, Boiled White asparagus, Blanched French beans, Thyme, Fried entrecôte and beef stew. The full list is above.
- Is Petit Verdot a red wine?
- In our database Petit Verdot is mostly made as a red wine (17 linked styles); regional exceptions exist.