Cabernet will be celebrated twice this week, with International Cabernet Day on Aug. 29 and International Cabernet Sauvignon Day on Aug. 30.
Fine Wine & Good Spirits wine specialist Russ Johnson responded to a couple of questions from PennLive and then offered several recommendations available at the FW&GS shops around the state. Q, What is it about Cab that you are most fond of? A, I think that Cabernet is a very difficult grape to make single-varietal wine from, but the complex aromas are what I enjoy most when it’s done right. You will often find layered aromas such as graphite or pencil shavings, black licorice, green bell pepper, and dark fruit notes such as black cherry, all coming together to make a very complex bouquet.
I think that finding all of these notes together in one wine is unique in and of itself, but it’s how they somehow work together that’s most interesting to me. Q, Is it strictly a “meat” wine or are there other foods that you like to pair your Cabs with? A, Although Cabernets are most associated with steak (“a slab and a Cab,” as they say in steakhouses), they are also great wines to pair with umami-centric ingredients like mushrooms, which gives you a ton of options as far as dishes to make. A mushroom-based dish is a great way for vegetarians to pair with Cabernet as well, since it’s able to stand up to the power of the wine.
I also enjoy heartier cheeses with Cabs, such as Gouda or cheddar, although my personal favorite would be blue.