September 1st — Interational Cabernet Sauvignon Day
This grape is known as the queen of reds for being the most widely distributed variety worldwide and for captivating consumers with its extremely elegant, complex and well-structured wines.
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most widely planted grapes and plays a leading role in all regions where great wines are produced.
Furthermore, due to its history and prestige, it stands out as one of the preferred wines in the world. It is always present in the cellars of those demanding consumers who can keep wines for a long time, since it is usually one of the varieties that best evolves with aging.
Cabernet Sauvignon History
Cabernet Sauvignon, which comes from the natural cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, is originally from Bordeaux, France. It is considered the foundations of that region’s great wines. It was well adapted in Spain, Portugal, Italy, California, Argentina, Chile, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.
Its great reputation comes from the Grand Cru Classé of Bordeaux, a classification created in 1855 by Napoleon III and which has since embraced the best wines of that region.
As time went by, every wine-producing country began to follow the French example to create its best wines, and although perhaps the most emblematic case is that of Champagne, it was also the case of Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as the famous Bordeaux blends among the reds, and even Burgundy’s admiration for the whites, which are made from Chardonnay.
In Cabernet Sauvignon‘s particular case, it can be said that it found its great opportunity during a great crisis because right after its consecration at the Paris International Fair, the phylloxera wiped out almost all the European vineyards.
When it was time to replant, the winegrowers saw that their Malbec had suffered much more than their Cabernet Sauvignon vines. And from then on, a long road that led it to be crowned the king of red wines began.
As a result, the New World, with the United States at the forefront, bet from the outset on Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon to lead their harvests.