Have you ever been to the Cabernet region of France?

Probably not.
Cabernet is a grape.
The naming conventions used in wine can be quite confusing, as a result of one simple fact. French wines, historically, were always named after the region in which they were grown. As the American winemaking industry developed, wines were more often named after the grape used in the production of the wine. As the winemakers in various countries like Australia, America, and South Africa refine their methods, eventually regions that have unique characters may evolve, and at that time, we'll refer to a Napa red, or a Columbia Valley white, and be referring to a clearly defined wine. For now though, if you're not already familiar with the various regions of winemaking around the world, we've assembled a quick overview below. Last month, we talked about Grape types. If you're not familiar with grapes mentioned below, please refer to our tutorial. It covers most of the more familiar types.

So, kick back with that nice bottle of Burgundy you picked up in Chardonnay last spring, and enjoy.....