In France, in the southwestern region in the 17th century, breeding that was accidental occurred between the white Sauvignon Blanc grape vines and a red Cabernet Franc grapevine. This was the introduction to one of the most iconic grapes in the world, known as Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Cabernet Sauvignon’s is one of the red grape varietals which is well-known for their durable, thick skin’s, and the resistance of the vine to different elements. Once this grape was discovered, the Cabernet Sauvignon varietal was adopted into areas of France by the winemakers who were looking for plants that were more durable and easier to grow.
It was not proven that the Cabernet Sauvignon was the result of breeding between the Sauvignon Blanc and the Cabernet Franc until the year 1996, by the wine researchers from UC Davis.
The winemakers in Bordeaux enjoyed the healthy tannin levels in these grapes, which allows these wines to evolve for a number of years inside the bottle. They also found out that these grapes respond extremely well when it comes to spending a lot of time in oak barrels, and that the oak itself brought about stunning new flavors. This resulted in wines that have medium acidity, that is full-bodied and is fantastic to drink with many types of food.
In addition to the overwhelming success of this grape in Bordeaux, the Cabernet Sauvignon increased its reputation even further, when the grapes were planted in California. In the year 1976, the Cabernet Sauvignon, derived from Stag’s Leap located in Napa Valley, managed to top the best Bordeaux Chateaus in the Judgment of Paris 1976, in the blind taste tests. It was from this precise moment, that the Cabernet Sauvignon from California was introduced to the world, and this wine was soon featuring on the wine lists in just about every steakhouse across the globe.
The Cabernet Sauvignon, in the form of wine, is well-known for its full-body, dark colors and alcohol contents that exceed 13.5%, with many of the Cabernet Sauvignons, especially from Chile, Australia, and California being more in the range of 14.5% and with some that even go over 15%.
These wines are always dry, along with healthy tannin levels, which is the reason why your mouth will dry out while sipping on it. Most of the people that drink Cabernet, will say that they can always distinguish a green pepper taste in these wines, along with cassis, tobacco, and fruits like black cherries and plums. Some wines also feature hints of vanilla which is derived from the wines that age in oak.
This is the type of wine that is best consumed with food, due to the alcohol content, tannins and acidity. However, there are no hard-and-fast rules in place that you have to drink wine accompanied by food. Yet most experts will agree that Cabernet Sauvignon is one of those wines which does a lot better when you drink it with a meal or snacks like cheese and biscuits because, on its own, this wine is often overwhelming.