Cabernet Sauvignon

Originating in Bordeaux, France, this powerhouse is the offspring of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s one of the oldest known varietals and is grown throughout the world. Researchers believe that Cab Sauv resulted from some accidental and fortuitous cross-breeding in 18th-century vineyards. Wine merchants played a key role in distributing Cabernet Sauvignon to Britain, where it became a favorite.

Cab Sauv in Pop Culture

If varietals could assume human forms, Cab Sauv would don a smoking jacket, relax in an expansive home library, and wax poetic about literature, philosophy, and history. In film and television, it’s often used to suggest a character’s sophistication, worldliness, and discipline. In 2002’s Miss Congeniality, for instance, Michael Caine’s preference for this wine is used to contrast with Sandra Bullock’s “unsophisticated” embrace of beer — lots of beer. *

Cab Sauv can also be a marker of wealth, as a good one will generally cost more than its lighter-bodied counterparts.

The 2008 film Bottle Shock portrayed the 1976 “Judgment in Paris,” when Napa Cabs beat out comparable French wines in blind tastings, marking the beginning of the end of French wines’ dominance in the U.S. market.

Price Point

Expect to spend at least $20, although quality can vary greatly at this price point.

For better quality wines, expect to pay at least $30 to $50.

* Beer has since exploded in popularity, with hundreds of microbreweries popping up all over the U.S. Calling it “unsophisticated” now ignores how specialized, complex, and niche beer has become.