28 Jan Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Ettore 2021 Petit Verdot, Mendocino County

For years, Petit Verdot has played a supporting role, adding color, structure, and depth behind the scenes, rarely taking center stage. But with the creation of International Petit Verdot Day, this often-overlooked grape is finally getting its moment. Celebrated at the end of January, this new wine day is a fitting reminder that Petit Verdot deserves attention not just as a blending component, but as a variety in its own right. That timing made this the perfect week for the Ettore 2021 Petit Verdot to be the Please The Palate wine of the week.

About International Petit Verdot Day

International Petit Verdot Day was founded by Arthur Barham, host and producer of Merlot2muscadine. A native North Carolinian, Arthur brings a deep, hands-on understanding of wine through decades of restaurant experience, extensive travel to vineyards and wineries, and his ongoing work as an educator.

The second annual International Petit Verdot Day will take place on Saturday, January 31, 2026, and invites wine lovers, producers, writers, and educators around the world to explore the grape’s history, versatility, and growing global presence. Long associated with Bordeaux blends, Petit Verdot is increasingly finding its voice as a standalone wine, such as at Ettore Winery in Mendocino County.

About Ettore Winery

Ettore is an organic winery in Mendocino County. It is named after founding winemaker Ettore Biraghi, an Italian who is based in Switzerland. In 2015, with business partner Fabio Bruni, he began looking at property in Mendocino, drawn by the warm microclimate where grapes ripen and produce expressive wine without any chemical inputs. They began building the winery in 2017 on a 64-acre property that was home to vines originally planted in the 1990s. In 2018, Argentine-born agronomist Sofia Rivier moved to Mendocino to work with Ettore. Today there are 35 acres of certified organic vineyards planted to Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot.

The first vintage of Ettore wines was in 2019. Petit Verdot was blended with the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. But in 2021, with the drought, yields were down and they only had a few barrels of Petit Verdot. They decided to experiment and made 168 cases of single-varietal Petit Verdot.

Tasting Notes

The Petit Verdot, like all the other grapes, is estate grown in their Sanel Valley Vineyard in Hopland in the southernmost town in Mendocino County. The soils are mostly gravely, bench land, and loamy and sit at 500-600 feet above sea level. The vines are all 26 and 29 years old and are picked by hand. After fermentation in stainless steel tank, the wine was aged in French oak barrels. The resulting wine is a deep purple color. But, at only 14% abv, the wine is less concentrated on the palate than it looks. The glass offers beautiful aromas of dark cherry, blackberry, plum, baking spices, licorice, and chocolate. The wine is structured with smooth tannins and a fresh finish.

Food Pairing

The structure and depth of Petit Verdot makes it a natural partner for richly flavored dishes. It was a beautiful pairing with a perfectly grilled skirt steak with olive oil and salt, mashed potatoes, and broccolini which I enjoyed at Ettore Vino e Cucina at The Original Farmer’s Market in Los Angeles.

Where To Purchase

The 2021 Ettore Petit Verdot retails for $38. If you live in Los Angeles, pick up a bottle at Ettore Vino e Cucina. You can stop for a glass and order the grilled steak while you are there! Or, you can order the wine online at Ettore.wine.