APPEARANCE

ON THE VINE: A vigorous grower, with compact medium, conical bunches. Small and oval berries, with a dark skin. Late ripener.

IN THE GLASS: Crimson in colour. Carignan-like.

SMELL

A faint grassiness, damp thatch, and fleshy green plums. Good examples have a young Cabernet Sauvignon aroma.

TASTE

A fresh fruitiness that can benefit from a little time in the barrel. Ruby Cab is an easy-drinking, soft wine with a strong berry character, tending toward strawberry cordial. Medium-bodied.

ORIGIN

It is the most successful and oldest of the University of California (Davis) crossings from the 1940s and ’50s, endeavouring to combine the productivity of Carignan with the distinction of Cabernet Sauvignon, and very popular in California in the '60s.

IN SOUTH AFRICA

Cape winemakers began planting Ruby Cab in earnest in the early 1980s and today the bigger-volume producers in the warmer areas value it as an economical blending component – the variety produces up to four times more per hectare than Cabernet Sauvignon.

ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD

Substantial plantings remain in California, and the variety is also cultivated in Australia.

AGEING POTENTIAL

As a rule, Ruby Cabs are not particularly complex, but if given subtle wood ageing, some interest can be added. They are meant to be enjoyed young.

MATCHING WITH FOOD

Casual meals: pastas and braais, or lightly chilled with cold meats.

SERVING TEMPERATURE

Lighter style wines: between 10° and 14° C. Fuller-bodied versions: between 16° and 18° C.