WineXpert Petit verdot

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markb1983

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Hello! I will be starting a Petit Verdot wine kit by winexpert. This kit comes with skins and I would like to add some fruit in the secondary before barrel aging it.

Part of me wants to get a puree can at my local brew store and add it. Any ideas?
 
I've had my eye on this kit. I had a fantastic bottle of Australian Petit Verdot. I would personally leave this kit as is as it is a very nice 18L kit with skins (I'll use my usual tweaks, though). But if you want to add fruit maybe try some dark fruit to compliment. Blackberry? Black currant?
 
I wouldn't know what kind of fruit to add, but lots of reviews of commercial petit verdot claim black cherry as a defining flavor.
 
It seems hard to find a stand alone wine. I was worried about the wine quality.
 
I see it's more of a blend

It seems hard to find a stand alone wine. I was worried about the wine quality.

Not sure what you mean by this? Do you mean that, generally, Petit Verdot is used as a blending wine? Yes, this is true, but not for the usual reason, that is, the reason that, say, Grenache or Carignan(e) is used in blends.

For Grenache or Carignan(e), those grapes may have high yields, and can be thin when grown that way. Thus, they are used as a cheap "filler," and are blended with something with more backbone to fill them out.

Petit Verdot, on the other hand, is a very robust grape -- lots of color and flavor. It has been described as "Cab Sauv on steroids." Thus, it is often blended in small amounts (< 10%) to "pump up" a thinner wine, especially to give it more color. Long ago, I heard a winemaker say "PV is like garlic -- very tasty, it really enhances your wine, but a little goes a long way." You do NOT need to worry about the "wine quality" just because it is often used as a blending component.

I like big reds, and so have always wanted to try a single-varietal bottle of PV, but have not done so yet. Others here can tell you more about the experience. In any event, the WE kit is definitely in my plans at some point!
 
That's the info I have been looking for! I see it's used with cabs often! I was curious as to how it would be as a single wine.

The other idea I have is to either blend it with a cab or zin I made last year.
 
Another thing to keep in mind is that, historically, Petit Verdot does not always ripen reliably in Bordeaux (pretty much in Medoc). I understand that in some years, the yield of ripe grapes is low or nonexistent. In places like Australia, though, ripening is pretty much assured because of the climate, and you'll see single varietal examples.

There's a winery in Virginia that makes a bluebery wine that has a small amount of Petit Verdot blended in.
 
That's what I have noticed. It's hard to find a blend that isn't 5-15 percent petit verdot.

I want to top up my carboy with either a zin cab or Spanish tempranillo. Any ideas?
 
Single varietal PV is my favorite wine. It is usually a "big" wine, and, as such, may not appeal to every wine drinker. I have made single varietal PV from kits, and from Lodi grapes, and have been happy with each one that I have made.

My advice would be to make the wine according to the instructions in the kit. After aging it for a year, or so, taste a glass (Or two.). If you don't like the resulting wine, you can experiment, on a glass-by-glass basis, by blending it with other wines to acquire the taste that you really like. (Keep track of the proportions of additive wines, so that you can replicate the results with the remainder of the carboy.)

IMO, by adding another fruit at fermentation you have a better than even chance of making a wine that you will not particularly like.
 
Ok thanks for the tip! I see petit verdot is an acquired taste. I think i have evolved into a more sophisticated taste for wine.
 
For $12-15 you can at least get an entry level Australian Petit Verdot. Contact your local wine merchant and give it a try.
 
I wouldn't make any changes. This kit is excellent at 2 years. Only changes should be maybe extra oak and/or finishing tannins to personal tastes.
 
I'm rather excited now..... I think possibly adding 1 pound of black currants along with aging in my barrel for time =)
 

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