I said in my first post of this week that Cabernet Sauvignon is the legendary red wine of California. Is that strictly true? Hmmm, I’m not actually that sure. It’s definitely the grape that produces the wines from Napa in particular that go for hundreds of bucks in swanky LA restaurants. I know that much.
Well to a point it definitely is true. Cabernet Sauvignon is a grape destined for big things wherever it’s planted. Over on the Left Bank of Bordeaux it makes up the largest proportion of those punchy, but amazing, red wines. The Super Tuscans of Bolgheri (Tuscany) were started because the producers knew Cab Sav would thrive there.
The producers who started to shake up the US wine scene in the 1960s and 70s were keen to get stuck in too, especially in the Central and North coast areas like Napa. The sunny hills, the valleys, the breezes coming in from the Pacific Ocean; it all made sense for this late ripening grape.
One of the tough things in calling it THE red wine grape of California is the incredible way in which the yanks want to try everything. And that’s definitely meant as a complement! If there’s a grape variety in the world, you can bet that someone in the US has given it a go.
So for a massive area like California, there’s no way you can say it’s the best or the biggest red wine grape. But it’s definitely the most famous. And in the wine bars of LA being the most famous counts a lot more!
Cheers
Other Posts In #NWTW Week 32
#NWTW Week 32: ON TOUR – Cabernet Sauvignon from California (Part One)
#NWTW Week 32: ON TOUR – Cabernet Sauvignon from California (Part Two)
