The Wine Institute

Cabernet Sauvignon has been referred to as the king of red wine grapes. Cabernet Sauvignons and blends where the variety predominates are some of the most prized wines produced in California. The grape is also the main ingredient in blends for many of the most famous red wines in the world. Cabernet Sauvignons are dry, full flavored and made to be long lived for many labels. The aging potential can be upwards of 10-20 years, though 5 to 9 years is more usual. Fans of Cabernet Sauvignon are familiar with the wine’s common descriptors: berry, currant and cassis or herbaceous, bell pepper and toasty oak aromas and flavors. For traditional California table wine volume sold to the U.S., Cabernet Sauvignon represented 16 percent of the wine volume sold in 2008, according to Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates

The Cabernet Sauvignon Grape

DNA genetic fingerprinting research at the University of California at Davis has revealed Cabernet Sauvignon to be a cross between the Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc grapes. The variety is California’s most widely planted red winegrape, with 75,048 acres reported in 2008. Napa Valley, Sonoma County and the Lodi-Woodbridge area have the most plantings. Cabernet Sauvignon is a tough-skinned, late-maturing variety that is more impervious to rain damage and disease

Top 10 California Counties for Cabernet Sauvignon Acreage, 2008

County	2008 Total Acres
Napa	19,035
Sonoma	11,490
San Joaquin	10,497
San Luis Obispo	9,088
Monterey	3,666
Lake County	3,150
Sacramento	3,084
Madera	2,989
Mendocino	2,437
Fresno	1,431
Other	8,755
STATE TOTAL	75,622

Source: California Agricultural Statistics Service

Source: California Agricultural Statistics Service