California is the world's second largest grower of Cabernet Sauvignon. In California most Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are grown in the Napa Valley and Sonoma County.

Cabernet Sauvignon is of the species Vitis vinifera, and genetic studies in 1997 indicated it is the result of a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.

Cabernet Sauvignon has a well defined aroma. In Old World wines, particularly those made in Bordeaux, this is characterised by a smell of violets, blackcurrant, cedar and spice. New World wines of this grape can often share the aromas of their Old World counterparts, but are more often dominated by aromas of chocolate, ripe jammy berries, oak, pepper and earth.

The particularly thick skin of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape results in wines that can be high in tannin which provides both structure and ageability. As a group, Cabernet Sauvignon wines are generally full-flavored, with a stronger flavor than Merlot for instance, and with a smooth and lingering "finish".

Cabernet Sauvignon makes the most dependable candidate for aging, more often improving into a truly great wine than any other single varietal. With age, its distinctive black currant aroma can develop bouquet nuances of cedar, violets, leather, or cigar box and its typically tannic edge may soften and smooth considerably.

Cabernet Sauvignon began to emerge as America's most popular varietal red wine in the mid-60s. By the late 1980s, it had replaced "burgundy" as a consumer's generic term for red wine. This popularity was based partly on the flavor appeal of the grape and partly on its status or snob-appeal as a "collector's" wine. Indeed Cabernet Sauvignon is the wine most subject to inflationary climb, as fans, collectors, and the Nouveau Riche bid the supply ever upward.

Submitted by:
Paul Shad
Travel Destinations from Information Resource Network