What does cabernet mean?
Cabernet is a noun used both for a celebrated variety of dark-skinned wine grape and, more commonly, for the dry, full-bodied red wine made from it. Best known through its flagship expression, Cabernet Sauvignon, the grape produces wines noted for deep color, firm tannins, and flavors of blackcurrant, plum, and cedar, often enhanced by aging in oak. In restaurants and shops, asking for 'a cabernet' typically means requesting a glass or bottle of this red wine, and in casual American usage the word is sometimes abbreviated to 'cab'. The term also encompasses Cabernet Franc, a related parent grape used both in blends and as a lighter varietal wine. Because of its prestige and global planting, cabernet has become shorthand in English-speaking countries for a reliable, serious red wine, carrying connotations of quality and tradition. Its pronunciation, ending like 'ballet', reflects its French origins even though the grape now flourishes on every wine-producing continent.
nounA cabernet is a dry red wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, one of the world's most widely planted red wine varieties; it also refers to the grape itself.
- The Cabernet Sauvignon grape or its wine; more broadly, any dry red wine made chiefly from cabernet grapes.
"She ordered a glass of cabernet to accompany her steak."
"The sommelier recommended a Napa Valley cabernet with the lamb."
"Cabernet grapes thrive in warm climates with long growing seasons."
The plural is rare and typically appears only when comparing different cabernet wines, regions, or vintages.
"The tasting flight featured cabernets from three different continents."
Cabernet Sauvignon is the child of two other famous grapes — a chance crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc that happened naturally in a French vineyard.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cabernet
Cabernet entered English directly from French, where it appears in the names of the grape varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The ultimate origin of the French word itself is uncertain; theories linking it to the French 'caboerne' (meaning 'to persist') or to place names remain speculative, so its deeper roots cannot be stated with confidence. What is certain is that the word spread internationally during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as Cabernet Sauvignon plantings expanded worldwide, becoming a standard term in the vocabulary of wine.
Related word forms
How cabernet is actually used
In everyday speech 'cabernet' usually means the wine rather than the grape, and is often shortened further to 'cab' informally in North America. It is frequently used without an article when ordering ('I'll have the cabernet').
Easily confused with cabernet
Chardonnay is a white wine grape, whereas cabernet refers to a red wine grape and the dry red wines made from it.