Petit Manseng (sometimes translated:
Small Manseng, rarely "Little Manseng") is a white
winegrape variety that is grown primarily in
South West France. It produces the highest quality wine of any grape in the
Manseng family. The name is derived from its small, thick skin berries. Coupled with the small yields of the grapevine, most Petit Manseng farmers produce around 15
hl of wine per
hectare. The grape is often left on the vine till December to produce a
late harvestdessert wine. The grape is grown primarily in the
Languedoc,
Jurançon and
Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh but has recently drawn interest in
New World wine regions like
California,
North Georgia,
Virginia,
Ohio, and
Australia. The reason is that it is expected to follow
Viognier's path to popularity among white wine drinkers. It was already present in
Uruguay, when
Basque settlersbrought "Manseng" and
Tannat vines with them to their new home. Despite being easily recognizable as a white grape while true Manseng is a black grape, wine that is Petit Manseng is still normally labeled as just "Manseng". The grape is often left on the vine to produce a
late harvest wine made from its nearly raisin like grapes.
