Cabernet sauvignon is one of the world's best known grape varieties and it's grown in almost every wine-producing country in the world, including China. Though cabernet sauvignon has many nicknames, it is most commonly referred to as 'cabernet' or 'cab'. This can be confusing as cabernet sauvignon is often blended with a variety called cabernet franc, casually referred to as 'cab franc'.
Cabernet sauvignon is renowned for its leading role in the wines of Bordeaux where it is blended with cab franc and merlot.
Having established its career in Bordeaux, the variety migrated around Europe and to the new world, where it excelled in warm climates such as the Napa Valley, in California; Margaret River and Coonawarra, in Australia; and Maipo Valley, in Chile.
In recent decades, many European wine regions have taken to adding a dollop of cabernet sauvignon to bolster varieties such as Tuscany's sangiovese and Spain's tempranillo. Many of these wines are wildly popular, though traditionalists lament cabernet's oppressive influence.
Even within France, the southern Languedoc region has been experimenting with cabernet. For example, Mas de Daumas Gassac has had terrific success using cabernet to add structure and texture to its syrah.
Surprisingly, cabernet sauvignon is a relatively young variety, having first appeared in southwestern France in the 17th century. Long considered far superior to cabernet franc, it came as quite a shock back in the late 1990s when a DNA examination revealed that the noble cabernet sauvignon is an offspring of cabernet franc and a grape usually found in dry white wine, sauvignon blanc.