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Cabernet pepper

The red grape variety (also known as pepper Cabernet) originates from California, but there are a number of legendary stories and ambiguities surrounding its origin. The question arises as to whether it is an independent variety at all. The original vine was supposedly discovered and selected in California's Santa Clara Valley in the 1880s by William Pfeffer, who immigrated from Germany in 1850. It was thought to be a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon x unknown partner. However, the stock was destroyed by phylloxera. Pfeffer claimed to have bred a better version as a seedling and to have transplanted and propagated it onto a stable rootstock. It was therefore no longer the original vine. According to another hypothesis, it is the French variety Trousseau Noir or a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon x Troussau Noir. This has not yet been confirmed by DNA analyses (although the question arises as to which of the many specimens of this vine should be examined).

There are some plantings with varieties of this name, among others in the Cienega Valley in San Benito County, in the Napa Valley and also in Arizona. The rather light red wine produced by the DeRose Vineyards (Cieniega Valley) varietal as Cabernet Pepper is characterised by a spicy-peppery and tannin-rich taste. The winemaker Kenneth Volk in Santa Barbara ( Central Coast region) claims that the Cabernet Pepper he cultivates is identical to the French Gros Verdot, which has also been confirmed by DNA analyses. However, it is not clear whether it is actually the vine known as Cabernet Pepper. It would therefore be necessary to examine all the varieties cultivated in California under the name Cabernet Pepper. Only then could a possible independence of such a vine be proven beyond doubt. In any case, no stocks were recorded under this name in 2016 (Kym Anderson).

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Markus J. Eser

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Markus J. Eser
Weinakademiker und Herausgeber „Der Weinkalender“

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