Petit Verdot Flavor, Origin, and the History of a Specific Wine - Essay Example

Section/# Petit Verdot – An Overview and Review of Both Flavor, Origin, and the History of a Specific Wine As withmost wines, Petit Verdot is characterized by the type of grapes used in is composition. However, as opposed to most wines, Petit Verdot is usually not comprised of solely the Petit Verdot fruit itself. This is due partly to the fact that it ripens much later than comparable varieties within the region in question (Bordeaux) and possesses a noticeably tart taste. This analysis will work to briefly introduce the reader to the specific variety of wines that Petit Verdot influences as well s the aroma, taste, and food parings that work best to soften its tart taste while accentuating a particular food in the process. The distinct nature of this wine is its inherently tart taste. This is of course the direct result of the high levels of tannin that are represented within the fruit itself. As a function of the fact that the wine is red, a large component of the color as well as the taste is concentric upon the level to which the grape skin itself is involved in the process of creating the juice which will in turn be fermented (Cejudo-Bastante et al 2011). Likewise, as tannin usually specifically resides within the skin of the grape, a process that is heavily intensive on using the skins to differentiate the wine will likely lead to a darker and more tart rendition of the wine as compared to a process that does not extensively uses these tannin-laden skins (Bird 2011). Although many authors belabor the point with regards to tannin, complaining that too much causes a bitter and or unpalatable wine, this is not the case with petit verdot, as experienced by this author. Although the bottle that was sampled exhibited a distinctly bitter aftertaste; however, this was not so much the case that a meaty food paring such as veal or a type of gamey fowl could not easily compliment this (Herdenstam et al 2001). Critics have claimed that the wine exhibits elements of flavor similar to an aged leather, banana chips, and/or pencil shavings. The personal experience of this author noticed that of these three distinct tastes, that of pencil shavings mixed with a distinctly floral aftertaste was what most defined the wine when sampled by itself. Having done a fair amount of research into this specific wine prior to actually buying a bottle to sample, I had come to the realization that the best food combinations would be concentric around very earthy and hearty standard fare as a way to counteract the nature of this particular wine. It is necessary to note that although petit verdot is a particular type of grape, it is almost always used as a way to differentiate a certain way (Martinez-Gil et al 2012). In other words, elements of petit verdot are often added to a given wine as a way to give a more full body and varied or nuanced taste. Alternatively, fire scorched and grilled foods also help to differentiate the taste of the food when paired with petit verdot. Due to the particular nature of the fruit itself, it is amenable to being used in this complimentary way due to the fact that by itself it would likely be considered to be too tart for normal consumption and individual food pairings. What is equally interesting about this particular wine is the fact that due to the fact that it is neither widely known nor popular, food parings is not an issue that has been fully developed as compared to other much more popular and well known varieties. It was precisely this approach that this author has chosen to take with respect to pairing the wine with the best available food. As a way to enhance the experience, this author set out to cook a meal that would help to bring out the well-balanced nature of the wine as opposed to many of the more harsh attributes that many wine critics seem so oddly fixated upon (MacNeil 2001). In this way, a meal was prepared that featured grilled duck filets along with a medley of seasoned vegetables with grilled corn prepared on the same grill as the duck filets. This pairing ensured that the wine would have the ability to bring out the smoky and deep flavor that the combination implied. It was therefore this author’s experience that the pairing worked in such an exceptional way as to challenge previously held biases with relation to what wine pairings should be considered as superlative for fire grilled and barbecued foods (Charles 2011). What was immediately noticed when this wine was paired with the above cuisine was the fact that distinctly, and previously unnoticeable, elements of spiciness were evoked from the flavor of the grilled duck as well as the grilled corn. Similarly, a more fruity taste was evocative of the mixed vegetables that were part of this particular meal. All in all, the wine helped to differentiate the food in a way that another less full-bodied and/or bitter wine would not have. Wine purists should not dismiss the wine as a newcomer onto the scene due to the fact that it has a storied and well developed history in much the same way that better known wines such as cabernet exhibit. Archeologists and historians are in agreement that this particular fruit was introduced to the Southern coast of France in or around the 1st century BC by Roman conquerors. The actual geographic origin of the wine in Italy is however unknown. Furthermore, this variety of grape has been used to “season” fruitier and sweeter wines for centuries. Moreover, the earthy overtones and deep and dark pallet of this particular wine helps to give a nuanced flavor to wines that would otherwise border on dessert wines had they not been incrementally adjusted by the tasteful introduction of the fruit of petit verdot. This analysis has helped to show some of the ways that this hitherto unknown wine can be effectively paired with a variety of foods to bring out flavors that one might not otherwise expect. Additionally, the wine itself, although noticeably tart, does not provide the same level of bitterness or tartness that many of the reviews which were consulted had alluded to. In this way, the wine should not be considered a fruity wine that can act as a good all-rounder for pairings with a variety of different cuisines. Instead, it should be understood with relation to its specific specialty; providing a nuanced and spicy flavor to foods that themselves are hearty and deep. Due to the nature of this wine, it is highly complementary and evocative of dishes that exhibit smoky and/or deeply cooked and seasoned. Even if the taster does not appreciate the wine in this sense, an experience with this wine is invaluable from the standpoint that it helps to differentiate the ways in which the taster approaches and categorizes other wines as well. Due to the fact that so many wines exhibit trace elements of petit verdot, in the form of an additive, it is also tangentially beneficial for the sampler to become more familiar with the fruit itself in its most concentrated form. References Bird, D (2011). Understanding Wine Technology. 3rd ed. New York: Wine Appreciation Guild. p 299. Cejudo-Bastante, M, Hermosin-Gutierrez, I, & Perez-Coello, M 2011, 'Micro-oxygenation and oak chip treatments of red wines: Effects on colour-related phenolics, volatile composition and sensory characteristics. Part I: Petit Verdot wines', Food Chemistry, 124, 3, pp. 727-737, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 29 October 2012. Charles, J 2011, 'The Ultimate Wine Companion: The Complete Guide to Understanding Wine by the World's Foremost Wine Authorities', Library Journal, 136, 1, p. 121, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 29 October 2012. Herdenstam, A, Hammaren, M, Ahlstrom, R, & Wiktorsson, P 2009, 'The Professional Language of Wine: Perception, Training and Dialogue', Journal Of Wine Research, 20, 1, pp. 53-84, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 29 October 2012. MacNeil, K (2001). The Wine Bible. Boston: Workman Publishing Company. p94. Martinez-Gil, A, Garde-Cerdan, T, Zalacain, A, Pardo-Garcia, A, & Salinas, M 2012, 'Applications of an oak extract on Petit Verdot grapevines. Influence on grape and wine volatile compounds', Food Chemistry, 132, 4, pp. 1836-1845, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 29 October 2012. Read More