Australian Petit Manseng wine regional and flavour profile

WHITE | MEDIUM BODY

Petit Manseng tastes and aromas

Flavours of apricot and quince fruit along with spicy and floral notes

Petit Manseng mouthfeel

Highly acidic, medium-bodied wine with low tannins

Petit Manseng cellaring potential

Petit Manseng wines are meant to be enjoyed within a year of their release.

Facts about Petit Manseng

• Petit Manseng translates to Small Manseng, derived from its small, thick skin berries, and is a white wine grape variety that is grown primarily in South West France.
• It produces the highest quality wine of any grape in the Manseng family.
• The grape is often left on the vine for longer periods than normal to produce a late harvest dessert wine.
• Despite being easily recognizable as a white grape while true Manseng is a black grape, wine that is Petit Manseng is still normally labelled as just “Manseng”.
• The variety is expected to follow Viognier’s path to popularity among white wine drinkers

Australian regions that produce Petit Manseng

In Australia, Petite Manseng wines are mostly grown in the Riverland and King Valley regions.

Internationally, the grape is grown primarily in the Languedoc, Jurançon and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh regions of France, and is also drawing interest in New World wine regions like California and Virginia.

What food to pair with Petit Manseng

Petit Manseng has similar food pairing abilities to a Riesling, in that its lightly aromatic characters pair well with lightly spiced Asian dishes, such as Thai style prawns with lemongrass and coriander, Thai green curry, or simpler meals like fish.

The palate of the wine also compliments dishes with fruit flavours (eg apples and pears), so light summer salads are also a go-to.