Fat-friendly wines play important role in our diet
The Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot varieties are the most planted in Medoc; yet minority contributions of Petit Verdot and other grapes also play a role in many of the region’s best wines. Tannins are astringent matter in a wine derived from the skin, pits and stems of a grape and also from oak aging. mouth salivate, tannins promote feelings of dryness. Science is still at the early stage of discovering the incredibly complex chemical reactions between tannins and other compounds in wine. The goal of scientists and wine makers alike is to better understand the dynamics of tannins in wines and optimize their beneficial qualities.
Various studies have indicated that tannins benefit cardiovascular health. By researching local populations in southwest France and on the island of Sardinia where wines are naturally rich in tannins, scientists found these groups to have better vascular health and greater longevity than populations in areas where wines are lower in tannins. In our bodies, tannins also act as antioxidants.
Lovers of fatty foods and red meats should also be fans of tannins. Tannins literally melt fats and make them more digestible. The same is true of red meats and fatty fowl.
Well-known red varieties naturally high in tannins include Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec and Nebbiolo.
Petit Verdot
If the words dark, dense, tannic and spicy stimulate your wine desires, then you must get to know Petit Verdot wines. Over the past 50 years or so, Petit Verdot has been best known as one of the six noble red wine grapes of Bordeaux almost exclusively used as a minor component of area’s greatest wines. The grape is mostly used in the left bank Medoc region of Bordeaux.
Petit Verdot, a small grape with a thick skin, tends to make wines that are very dark red or purple in color, sometimes even blackish. When young, Petit Verdot wines often have dark fruit, banana and pencil shavings aromas and flavors. As Petit Verdot wines age they tend to develop more dark fruit flavors along with violet and leather sensations.
Young and old wines also tend to be spicy and have robust tannins.
The earliest reference to Petit Verdot in Bordeaux dates back to the early 17th century. Some believe that the grape was brought to Bordeaux by the Romans.
In the 18th and 19th centuries the grape was used in small amounts of 2 to 10 percent in the blends of the best wines of Bordeaux. Despite playing second fiddle to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and other varieties, Petit Verdot has historically played an important role in the blend by adding color, tannins and structure. While Medoc is best known for using Petit Verdot in blends, a small number of winemakers in Australia, California, Argentina and Spain recently started making single variety Pinot Verdot wines. Some of my favorites include Finca Decero in Mendoza, Argentina; De Bortoli in Australia and Casa de la Ermita in Spain. Whether from Medoc or elsewhere, the wonderful intensity and bold structure of Petit Verdot wines make them superb companions to fatty and flavorful meat dishes.