Unique Wine & Spirits Experiences

Brought To You

Back to all

4 Delicious Alternatives to Cabernet Sauvignon

4 Delicious Alternatives to Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is the most popular red grape variety! It is widely planted throughout the world, producing a broad range of red wines. Overall, Cabernet Sauvignon wines tend to be full-bodied, flavorful and full of character. 

The variety produces exceptional wines, but if you like Cabernet Sauvignon wines… why not branch out and discover wines with similar characteristics?  

Wine 101: The Fascinating Cabernet Sauvignon
Wine 101: The Fascinating Cabernet Sauvignon

4 Delicious Alternatives to Cabernet Sauvignon

Tannat:

This grape variety produces big, powerful, and structured wines with high tannins, even higher than Cabernet! Tannat is the flagship grape variety of the country of Uruguay in South America. If you haven’t tried Uruguayan Tannat, I highly recommend it! In the nose, the wines deliver aromas of plums, licorice and sweet smokiness, perfect for a nice afternoon barbecue. The grape variety is originally from South-West France before being introduced to South America in the 1870s, specifically from the village of Madiran, which also continues producing great wines to this day

Mourvèdre:

A dark-colored, powerful and earthy wine with high tannins and medium acidity. Mourvèdre is produced all over the world but thrives in the climates of Southern France and Southern Spain, where it is known as Monastrell. In the nose, Mourvèdre delivers strong aromas of blackberries, herbs and smoked meat, blending perfectly with a nice juicy steak!

Still thinking about Cabernet Sauvignon?

Aglianico:

Imagine a wine that smells like aromatic oregano and a nice salty prosciutto, what’s not to love?! Aglianico is a grape variety indigenous to Italy, specifically to the provinces of Campania and Basilicata in the south. The grape variety produces bold wines with rich tannins and savory notes. It goes wonderfully with rich and meaty beef stew or some wonderfully cooked lamb.

Syrah/Shiraz:

Wine 101: The Fascinating Syrah & Shiraz
Wine 101: The Fascinating Syrah & Shiraz

Syrah and Shiraz are the same grape variety, they are simply named differently based on where the wine was produced. Syrah wines have a very dark color, even darker than the deep purplish-red of a Cabernet Sauvignon. In terms of structure, the wines tend to have high tannins, medium acidity and a full body. In the nose, you’ll get notes of blackberries, herbs, olives and its signature aroma, black pepper. 

Malbec:

Wine 101: The Fascinating Malbec
Wine 101: The Fascinating Malbec

Although originally from France, 90% of the world’s Malbec today is made in Argentina. It is their flagship variety and the place in the world where the wine has gained worldwide recognition.  Malbecs are full-bodied yet also bright and fruity, with aromas of blueberry, bell pepper and baking spices that warm the nose. The perfect pairing for an Argentinian asado.

If you like Cabernet Sauvignon you can’t go wrong with these alternatives. Tannat, Mourvèdre, Aglianico, Syrah and Malbec, jump out of your comfort zone and give them a try!

Find out more about our experiences.

You may also want to check out our gallery for past events.

LEARN MORE

Share

Quiz-time

You might also enjoy

All Articles

4 Delicious Alternatives to Cabernet Sauvignon

You might also enjoy

How to Describe Wine
How to Describe Wine: A Practical Vocabulary Guide

One of the things I hear most often from people who are new to wine is some version of: “I know I like it, I just don’t know how to describe wine.” They can taste the difference between two glasses. They have preferences. But the moment someone asks them what they’re getting, they freeze.

Team Building Activities for Small Groups
Best Team Building Activities for Small Groups in 2026

There’s a sweet spot in corporate events that most planners miss: the small group. Not the 200-person all-hands, not the two-person lunch — I’m talking about 6 to 30 people. An executive team. A startup’s full staff. A newly formed cross-functional project group. A department of 15.

Virtual Team Building Ideas
Best Virtual Team Building Ideas for Remote Teams

I’ve planned more corporate events than I can count. In-person ones, hybrid ones, and — especially over the last several years — fully virtual ones. And I’ll tell you something most event platforms won’t: most virtual team building ideas fail not because the technology breaks, but because nobody act

Corporate Team Building San Diego
Corporate Team Building San Diego: Best Ideas 2025

San Diego doesn’t make corporate team building hard. The weather cooperates, the venues are beautiful, and there’s a genuine culture here that values experience over formality. After years of running corporate events across the country, I’ll say plainly: San Diego is one of the best cities in the US

Spirits Tasting
Spirits Tasting for Beginners: Complete Guide

I remember the first time someone handed me a glass of single malt Scotch and said, “Just taste it.” I had no idea what I was doing. I sipped, I nodded, I said “smoky” — and I was pretty proud of myself. Years later, running spirits tasting experiences for corporate teams, I realize how much richer

Remote Team Building, Team Building for Remote Teams
Team Building for Remote Teams: What Works in 2025

I planned corporate events for 15 years before remote work became the default for a huge swath of the workforce. And I’ll be honest: when the world shifted in 2020, I watched a lot of well-intentioned team building for remote teams land completely flat.

Company Party Ideas
25 Company Party Ideas Teams Love in 2025

Let me tell you something I learned after producing corporate events for fifteen years: the bar for company parties has quietly changed. What worked in 2018 — the DJ, the open bar, the catered dinner — is now the minimum expectation, not the highlight. People have been to those parties. They show up

Food and Wine Pairing Dinner
Food and Wine Pairing Dinner: The Complete Guide

I’ve hosted food and wine pairing dinners in hotel ballrooms, in someone’s backyard in Sonoma, in a downtown loft with forty corporate guests, and once — memorably — in a conference room where I had to improvise a tablecloth situation. The setting matters less than people think. What makes or breaks

Tequila Tasting
Tequila Tasting: The Complete Guide (2025)

I’ll admit something: I didn’t take tequila seriously until I was well into my career as an event producer. It was a party spirit, the thing you shot before dancing, the booze that showed up at bachelorette parties. I was wrong, and I’m embarrassed it took me as long as it did to figure that out.

How to Plan a Team Building Event
How to Plan a Team Building Event People Love

I’ve spent fifteen years producing corporate events, and I can tell you that the most common planning mistake isn’t picking the wrong venue or blowing the budget. It’s starting with the activity instead of the outcome.

Networking Event Ideas
Networking Event Ideas That Break the Ice Fast

Here’s the thing nobody says out loud about networking events: most people hate them. Not because they don’t want to meet people — they do. They hate them because the standard format is designed to produce anxiety, not connection.

What Is a Sommelier
What Is a Sommelier? The Complete Guide

I became wine-certified not because I wanted to be a sommelier, but because I kept embarrassing myself at client dinners. Fifteen years of producing corporate events, and every time a server handed me the wine list, my palate was basically useless. I knew what I liked. I had no idea why.

Employee Appreciation Event Ideas
Employee Appreciation Event Ideas That Actually Work

I’ve produced corporate events for fifteen years. I’ve seen the full spectrum of employee appreciation — from catered lunches that people ate at their desks while answering emails, to experiences that teams still talk about three years later. The difference between them isn’t budget. It’s whether th

Whiskey Tasting
Whiskey Tasting Guide: How to Taste & Appreciate Whiskey

I came to whiskey late. For years I was a committed wine person — grapes, terroir, vintage variation, all of it. Then a client pulled out a 21-year Speyside Scotch at the end of a corporate event I was running, poured two glasses, and said nothing. Just slid one across the table.

Get in touch

Back to all

Before You Go


Take 10% off by booking a free consultation

Click here
No thanks. I’m not interested.

Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions