to make 100% varietal Petit Verdot wines. Tacama winery produces one of its high end wines, "Don Manuel", with 100% Petit Verdot grapes. Portugal In Portugal it is sometime cultivated in Alentejo with great results due to this region's specific climatic conditions. United States The profusion of Meritage Bordeaux blends has seen considerable interest in the variety in California, where there was 360 ha in 2003. The more consistent, warmer climate is a big help in reliably ripening the grape, and producers are starting to experiment with single varietals. It is also planted in Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, Texas, Michigan, Virginia, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Long Island, New York, New Mexico, and Washington. In addition to the countries above, Petit Verdot is used as 'seasoning' in Bordeaux-style blends in British Columbia, New Zealand, South Africa and Spain. Vine and viticulture The leaves have three to five lobes with a distinctively elongated central lobe. The small, cylindrical bunches are winged, with small black berries. The name Petit Verdot ('small green') refers to one of the main problems with the grape, that often the berries fail to develop properly without the right weather during flowering. It also refers to the late ripening which usually comes too late for the Bordeaux climate. Petit Verdot also has a peculiar characteristic in that it produces more than two clusters per shoot. Synonyms Bouton, Carmelin, Heran, Lambrusquet Noir, Petit Verdau, Petit Verdot Noir, Verdot and Verdot Rouge. See also Bordeaux wine References Citations General and cited sources Further reading Robinson, Jancis (1986). Vines, Grapes & Wines. Mitchell Beazley. . External links Great overview from a South African producers magazine Petit Verdot on the rise in Bordeaux from decanter.com Red wine grape varieties