Grape variety

Petit Verdot

小味儿多xiǎo wèir duō

Bordeaux's late-ripening spice grape, finding the sun it needs in Ningxia

Type: Grape variety
Colour: red
Family: Other reds
Origin: France: Bordeaux
Main regions: Ningxia
Literal meaning: Part sound, part meaning: roughly 'little, full of flavour'

Taste profile

Body
LightFull
Body: 5 out of 5
Tannin
LowHigh
Tannin: 5 out of 5
Acidity
LowHigh
Acidity: 3 out of 5
Fruit
SubtleIntense
Fruit: 4 out of 5

Aromas

violet
blackberry
cherry
liquorice
spice
Violets and dark berries
with liquorice and baked spice.

Sweetness · dry

Petit Verdot is the small, late-ripening grape that Bordeaux uses in tiny amounts to add colour, spice and structure. It often struggles to ripen in France. In the sunny, dry vineyards of Ningxia it ripens fully, and a few Chinese wineries now bottle it on its own, with medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards.

The spice of Bordeaux

In Bordeaux, Petit Verdot is a seasoning: a few per cent in a blend to add deep colour, violet perfume and firm tannin. It ripens so late that in cool years it barely ripens at all, which is why few French growers plant much of it.

Why it suits China

Ningxia's high desert plain gives Petit Verdot what it lacks in Bordeaux: long, sunny, dry autumns. The grapes ripen fully while cold nights keep their freshness.

On its own, and in blends

Some Ningxia wineries now bottle it as a single variety. September Helan's "The Missing Vineyard" Petit Verdot 2021 won a Silver medal with 94 points at the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards, praised for violets, crisp cherries and an elegant, juicy palate. Others use it with Syrah or in Bordeaux-style blends, as Xiban Winery does in its Syrah-Petit Verdot.

What to expect

Deep colour, violet and dark-berry aromas, liquorice and spice, with firm but ripe tannins.

History in China

Petit Verdot arrived in China with the wave of French varieties planted from the late 20th century, mainly as a blending partner for Cabernet Sauvignon. In the 2020s, Ningxia producers began bottling it on its own, and the results have been recognised at international competitions.

Growing

Petit Verdot buds early and ripens very late, so it needs a long, warm and dry season. Ningxia's sunshine and low rainfall suit it well. As with all vines in northern China, it must be buried in winter to survive the cold.