Vitis vinifera 'Cabernet Sauvignon' (O/B)

RHS Plant Profile
grape 'Cabernet Sauvignon'

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A disease-resistant grape vine for outdoor or greenhouse cultivation, producing the classic claret wine of Bordeaux. Fairly small dark purple-black grapes produce a rich, intense flavour with a hint of blackcurrant and can be used for wine-making or juices. The grapes ripen in late summer or early autumn and produce high yields of fruit

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

4-8 metres

Max Spread

2.5-4 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
5–10 years
Max Spread
2.5-4 metres
Max Height
4-8 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H5

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Vitaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Climbing
Potentially harmful
Pets (dogs): Harmful if eaten whether fruits are edible or ornamental - for further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus
Vitis are vigorous deciduous climbing shrubs with tendrils and attractively lobed leaves, insignificant green flowers followed by often edible fruits; some have excellent autumn foliage colour
Name Status
Unresolved
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea

Suitable for outdoor cultivation

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in well-drained, ideally neutral, soil, mulching with well-rotted compost or manure in late winter and training as required. Ideally grow in a greenhouse; see indoor grape cultivation. If grown outdoors it needs a warm, sunny position; see outdoor grape cultivation.

Propagation

Propagate by hardwood cuttings, or grafting onto phylloxera-resistant rootstocks

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Conservatory and greenhouse
  • Edible fruit
  • Climber and wall shrubs
  • Wall side borders

Pruning

Pruning is required to encourage flowering and fruiting, and to increase air circulation and so reduce the risk of disease: see grape pruning and training

Pests

May be susceptible to grapevine blister mite, glasshouse red spider mite, brown scale, woolly vine scale and spotted wing drosophila (fruit fly) and may be susceptible to mealybugs under glass

Diseases

May be susceptible to Powdery mildews, grey moulds, honey fungus and virus diseases. For further advice see grapevine diseases