As one of the most popular red-wine grapes in the world, it’s important to understand where Cabernet Sauvignon comes from. This grape came about from an accidental crossing between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in the Bordeaux region of France, sometime in the 17thcentury. In 1990, this grape was the 8thmost widely planted, and in just 20 years, it rose to the world’s most popular planting. There are over 740,000 acres planted around the world, in all different regions, with different soils and climates. The grape is so popular, it actually has it’s own holiday! National Cabernet Sauvignon Day is August 30th.
This dark red to ruby colored thick-skinned grape, is well known for its tannins and phenolics. Flavors include black cherry, black currants, cedar, baking spices, and graphite. These wines will be dry and very full bodied with medium to high tannins. Alcohol levels range from 13.5 to 15% and some will be felt, but others will be so smooth, you’d never guess the level.
Cabernet Sauvignon can be grown in many different climates, so it goes without saying, the flavor profile of these wines will be varied. Some wines are riper, richer and very bold, while others offer a more silky and elegant texture and feel. This means the food pairings are varied as well. The young bottle will have a more tannic structure to pair with fatty cuts of beef, lamb veal and pork. The earthy quality of the fruit will also lend itself to easy pairings with mushrooms. Cheese can be difficult to pair expertly with wine, but Cab Sauv goes well with many cheeses. Chocolate is another difficult food pairing, but many people find a chocolate note to these wines, so there can be a variety of chocolates that feel natural with this wine. You should try experimenting. White chocolate has no tannins, so often it will smooth a young, tannic Cab. Dark chocolate can bring back a tannic structure to those aged wines that have mellowed into a smooth and soft mouth feel. For many, a milk chocolate is right in the middle and a good fit for many Cabs.
While we know the Left Bank of Bordeaux to yield some of the bet known Cabernet based wines, you’ll also find this versatile grape growing in Australia, Tuscany, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Santa Cruz Mountains, and of course, a bit in Texas.