A Grape Around The World Part 1: Cabernet Sauvignon

So here’s the thing about wine, and if you’re like any of us here at Drizly you’ll agree, it’s confusing. Between the infinite number of labels, countless types/regions, and steep price tags, it sometimes seems like there’s a big wall in front of enjoyable, accessible, good wine.

We decided to make it all a little easier with “A Grape Around the World.”  It’s a weekly feature of 4-6 wines of the same grape that are produced around the world, all packaged together in the Drizly crate, for 20% off, and delivered at no extra charge. The tastes, tips, and information come straight from the head of wine selection at Gordon’s Wine and Spirits. Our hope is that between the blog posts, tasting notes, and accessible selection that we can help you navigate this big world and make that massive wine wall a bit easier to scale.

To kick this new blog series off right, we’re throwing in a pair of Riedel Cabernet Glasses for one lucky Drizly customer.

The Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon

This week is all about Cabernet Sauvignon, the big grape. We’re going to give you some cool facts to impress your friends, but lets just keep this simple.

The Cabernet grape comes from multiple regions and there are usually 4 main types:

Left Bank (Saint-Estephe, Saint-Julien, Pauilac…), Bordeaux

Napa Valley, California

Alexander Valley, California

Central Coast, California

Argentina

Italy (Super Tuscans)

Chile

Here are the basics:

Light-These have almost no tannins, and are easy drinking wines

Intense Fruit-A bit of a step up, and will have a fruit flavor with some tannins

Elegant– These start to become more complex, but are soft and velvety, they go well with food.

High/High-Highly concentrated with fruit flavors and have “firm” tannins, these are the full bodied “big” Cabernets.

Cabernet is widely considered the king of red grapes, it’s the big wine, and it’s the most inaccessible for beginning wine drinkers. Cabs are usually aged in oak, and you’ll find that the overwhelming majority of wines are “ready to drink” when bottled…you can forget the aging stuff.  The easiest way to get acquainted with it is to focus on a couple different tastes and a couple different aromas, which we will post in part 2 along with the 6 wines. Since red wines are fermented with their skins, hence the red coloring, the wine contains tannins…this next part is key…

Tannins are the backbone of red wine.  They are found in the skin and seeds, and are what make the wine a bit bitter.  You’ll notice them in the rear of your mouth, and depending on the tannin level, the inside of your cheeks and gums.  White wines will have small amounts of tannins, but will be mostly acidic because they lack the skin/seed.  Tannins can be easily confused with acidity; they generally taste the same, so pay close attention to what happens after you swallow the wine.  Tannins make your mouth feel dry and acidity makes you salivate.  Each wine will have varying amount of tannins, the amount, and intensity, plays a big part in differentiating wines.

Okay, breathe. That’s it.  That’s all you need to know about tannins. Hope it didn’t hurt too much, but it’s important.

How to serve:

Pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon pairs really well with beef, lamb, as well as wild game and light cheeses.

Temp: Slightly below room temp:

You’ll find wine Sommeliers arguing over 1-2 degrees, but for the rest of us, we can just know that the wine should be room temp, or a little cooler.

Decant, let sit open for 15-20 minutes before serving

This allows the wine to breathe, so the aromas open up (which helps with taste).  If you don’t have a decanter, just let the wine sit open.

Glass: Bordeaux (California Cab Glass)

These glasses should have a long stem/neck, and the larger size allows the wine to flow on to the taste buds that are most sensitive to sweetness.

Keep a look out for part 2 of “A Grape Around the World: Cabernet Sauvignon”, we’ll give you the low down on the “7 S’s” of wine tasting and the profile of each of the 6 wines in this weeks feature.

Image Credit: Compass, Wine Glass,  Decanter,  Grape