San Luis Obispo County's Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is perhaps the most famous red grape. Its home is Bordeaux where it is was created as a cross between Cabernet Franc (red grape) and Sauvignon Blanc (white grape). Since then its popularity has spread and it is grown all around the world. It prefers warmer climates to ripen fully and even in Bordeaux some years it does not ripen. That is why Cabernet Franc is also used in Bordeaux blends as it ripens faster. What makes Cabernet so popular is not its bouquet, which can range from blackcurrants to cigar box, but its structure, typically having both tannins and acidity to create a smooth feeling in the mouth. The structure allows the blending with other grapes, perhaps the most famous pairing is Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot where the Cabernet provides the structure and the Merlot gives the wine the soft, rounded feel in the mouth. Recently Cabernet has been mixed with Sangiovese (Chianti's grape) to create the SuperTuscans.

Merlot

Merlot makes luscious, smooth and fruity wines. In spite of this, it�s still perceived as one of the vine world�s great underdogs, most often being unfavourably compared to prized Cabernet Sauvignon, its more austere and frequent blending partner. Planted throughout South West France and much of the rest of the world, Merlot means �little blackbird� in Bordeaux patois, and was so-called because it was said that it�s the grape the blackbird guzzles first and that the bird�s colour resembles the grapes. It produces its most glorious wines in St-Emilion and Pomerol, on the right bank of the Gironde, including Bordeaux�s most expensive wine, Chateau Petrus. Chile's soft plum aromas are a favourite to many consumers. Merlot can adapt to a wide range of soils and microclimates, but it buds, flowers and ripens relatively early, so spring frosts are a danger. Its thin-skinned grapes are also liable to rot in wet vintages. However, Merlot�s lowish fruit tannins make it an excellent early-drinking wine.

Zinfandel

Zinfandel has all the potential to be a high-quality grape but it�s also California�s most common variety and ends up being used to produce a wide range of different wine styles � everything from red, white and rose to fortfied port-style wines, sweet wines and even sparklers. It yields lots of grapes with reliably high sugar and performs best in warm rather than hot areas on well-drained hillsides. Its problems are that it can ripen unevenly and tends to raisin if the conditions are too hot. At its best and grown in the right places, it produces still dry red wine with relatively high alcohol, lots of extract, reasonable acid and bramley fruit flavours that can develop into rich and spicy wine with age. Of European origin, this black grape is rarely seen outside of California and Southern Italy, where it�s been proved to be the country�s Primitivo.