In a thread somewhere I made the comment that the cabernet family of grapes included Merlot, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec along with Cab Sav.

Reading a little more there seemed to be some confusion amongst many writers as to where specifically Merlot, Cab Sav, Cab Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot originate from. There is ample evidence that suggests Bordeaux but there are arguments specifying that the grapes grown there were introduced vines.

Ausonius (around 300-400 ad)was the first author to mention viticulture with regard to Bordeaux. However Strabo says that no grapes were grown in Bordeaux (which was seen as a centre of commerce) but were actually grown in Pliny, he wrote this in Geographica (around 7bc).

There is ample evidence that certain varietals although named the in the same family are not of the same family. The native Bordeaux variety of Merlot Blanc is not actually a related member of Merlot (origins presenlty argued according to the sources I have read.)

There is also ample evidence to argue that the Bordeaux grapes that we all know and love originated in Hungary, Dalmatia, and Fruili.

The question hanging over Bordeaux is that viticulture was introduced via the Rhone and in 77ad was definately happening. But were the grapes the local varieties or the introduced grapes.

The waters are further muddied by the Dutch draining the Bordeaux swamps in the early 17th Century and that the grapes we now know were then growing wild in the area, but were noted by the Bordeaux wine merchants in 1725 (English at this point as opposed to Dutch) as "..so distinctly differant from the obviously local varieties as to be of alien stock.." .....

So I'm confused. Is the Cabernet Sauvignon (the savage Cabernet) originally from Bordeaux or from other more far off countries?

Anyone know?

Interesting,

Most people agree that it was the Roman influnce that started the vinyards in France and around the world. The fact that grapes that are commonly used in Itallian wines aren't spread throughout Europe leads me to believe that the Romans were cultivating grapes that were indiginouse to the growing regions where they were producing wine. This point would lead me to believe that these grapes do come from Framce originaly.

Both Cab Franc and Merlot were and still are cultivated through-out North Eastern Italy as far back as 76 BC. And up until 13century no-one was able to differentiate between Cab Franc and Cab Sav (lord knows why.) so.........see I'm very confused.

Maybe I'll just let this one go.