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The undisputed king of red wines, Cabernet is a remarkably steady and consistent performer throughout much of the state. While it grows well in many appellations, in specific appellations it is capable of rendering wines of uncommon depth, richness, concentration and longevity. Bordeaux has used the grape since the 18th century, always blending it with Cabernet Franc, Merlot and sometimes a soupçon of Petite Verdot. The Bordeaux model is built around not only the desire to craft complex wines, but also the need to ensure that different grape varieties ripen at different intervals or to give a wine color, tannin or backbone.

Elsewhere in the world-and it is found almost everywhere in the world-Cabernet Sauvignon is as likely to be bottled on its own as in a blend. It mixes with Sangiovese in Tuscany, Syrah in Australia and Provence, and Merlot and Cabernet Franc in South Africa, but flies solo in some of Italy’s super-Tuscans. In the United States., it’s unlikely any region will surpass Napa Valley’s high-quality Cabernets and Cabernet blends. Through most of the grape’s history in California (which dates to the 1800s), the best Cabernets have been 100 percent Cabernet. Since the late 1970s, many vintners have turned to the Bordeaux model and blended smaller portions of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petite Verdot into their Cabernets. The case for blending is still under review, but clearly there are successes. On the other hand, many U.S. producers are shifting back to higher percentages of Cabernet, having found that blending doesn’t add complexity and that Cabernet on its own has a stronger character.

At its best, unblended Cabernet produces wines of great intensity and depth of flavor. Its classic flavors are currant, plum, black cherry and spice. It can also be marked by herb, olive, mint, tobacco, cedar and anise, and ripe, jammy notes. In warmer areas, it can be supple and elegant; in cooler areas, it can be marked by pronounced vegetal, bell pepper, oregano and tar flavors (a late ripener, it can’t always be relied on in cool areas, which is why Germany, for example, has never succumbed to the lure). It can also be very tannic if that is a feature of the desired style. The best Cabernets start out dark purple-ruby in color, with firm acidity, a full body, great intensity, concentrated flavors and firm tannins.

Cabernet has an affinity for oak and usually spends 15 to 30 months in new or used French or American barrels, a process that, when properly executed imparts a woody, toasty cedar or vanilla flavor to the wine while slowly oxidizing it and softening the tannins. Microclimates are a major factor in the weight and intensity of the Cabernets. Winemakers also influence the style as they can extract high levels of tannin and heavily oak their wines.

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The first thing you are going to see is the name of the winery. There really isn’t much to it other than the creativity of the winery when it came up with a name when it first started. That being said, watch out for names that are close to something that might also be seen as a bit of a misrepresentation.

The next information to be provided should be the vintage of the wine in question. The vintage is simply a reference to the year the grapes were grown. Ah, but this doesn’t mean that 100 percent of the wine in the bottle comes from grapes grown in the year indicated. A winery in an AVA region can have 5 percent filler grapes, while a lesser appellation can have up to 15 percent. That’s rather sizeable and suggests that AVA region wineries produce higher quality wines.

The next indication on the label should be the type of wine. A label might read “Chardonnay” for instance. As with the vintage, this does not mean 100 percent of the wine in the bottle is the indicated type. Varietal wines must have 75 of the type indicated, but the percentage drops with other wine variations.

The label may next indicate a specific vineyard. Importantly, you want to look for the actual word “vineyard”. Why? This indicates that at least 95 percent of the grapes used for the wine in the bottle came from the vineyard. Wines without vineyard on the label have no such requirement and can be severely mixed.

The final bit of information you may see on the label is “contains sulfites”. This is a government required warning that must be on the label if sulfites are indeed present. Sulfites are a byproduct of the wine production process. A very small number of people can be allergic to them, but massively so. Thus the reason for the warning.

Understanding how to read wine labels is important because it allows you to grasp what you are really buying. Only then can you really choose a wine that meets your preferences.

Thomas Ajava writes for NomadJournals.com – where you can buy wine journals that make great wine gifts.

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Are you looking for a high return investment options? Why donâ??t you consider vintage wines?

According to the Liv-ex Fine Wine Investable Index, the best performer was Lafite Rothschild 1982, which cost £2,613 for a case of 12 bottles at the beginning of 2000 and sold at the end of last month for £25,500, a return of 876%, it means the investment return on the red wine from Bordeaux is greater than that achieved by investors in the stock market, property, oil, stamps and fine art, according to the London International Vintners Exchange.

The underlying supply and demand dynamics reinforce the attractive qualities of wine as an investment.

The quantity of any given wine from any given vintage can only decrease over time as it is consumed. Moreover, and uniquely, while supply is decreasing, demand is increasing because as fine wine matures it actually improves. Demand for fine wine is now global, encompassing both the traditional markets of Europe and North America, and the newer markets such as Russia and the Far East. As the emerging economies become wealthier, the number of consumers grows. With the decreasing supply of each given wine and the increasing demand as both the quality improves and the number of consumers increases, prices should rise.

James Miles, director of Liv-ex, said the fine wine market has transformed in the past decade, with global turnover increasing from under $1 billion a year to more than $3 billion. And he insisted: â??The Noughties have also seen fine wine move from being a niche investment for gentlemen into one that is considered increasingly mainstream by the investment community.â?

If you are a serious investor who is looking for a solid area of growth or to simply diversify your investment portfolio, Premier Red Fine Wines will be happy to offer you a free consultancy. Premier Red Fine Wines focus is providing our clients with a personalized strategy.