Cabernet Sauvingnon

Cabernet Sauvignon might be the most prolific, most popular red wine variety in the world. Whether bottled on its own or in a blend, it produces deeply colored, tannic wines that can withstand particularly long aging. It reigns in California, where it's responsible for everything from sun-kissed Napa Valley cult bottlings like the ones recommendedhereto earth-driven reds from the Santa Cruz Mountains. It's planted north to south in Italy, where it bolsters local varieties and is a crucial component in many of the Super-Tuscans that rose to fame in the '70s and '80s. It's found in Washington, Australia, South America and Spain. But nowhere can Cabernet claim as long a history as in France's Bordeaux region, where early fans include the likes of Napoleon Bonaparte and Thomas Jefferson. To recreate a Jefferson-like trek through Bordeaux wine country, check outRay Isle's listof châteaus to visit now.