Wilson Creek Variant Series White Cabernet Sauvignon
Wilson Creek Variant Series White Cabernet Sauvignon is a 750mL white wine made entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, from Wilson Creek Winery in Temecula Valley, California. The winery's own tech sheet lists the composition simply as Cabernet Sauvignon, made white by a softer press that keeps the colour locked in the skins — the blanc-de-noir method — yielding a semi-sweet white with the variety's richer feel. The winery's current (2021) tech sheet gives 11.1% ABV; an earlier sheet reads 11.0%, so bottlings vary slightly. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 11.1% (winery's 2021 tech sheet; an earlier sheet reads 11.0%)
- Size: 750mL
- Style: White Cabernet Sauvignon (blanc de noir) — semi-sweet
- Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, soft-pressed with minimal skin contact (winery tech sheet)
- Origin: Temecula Valley, California — Wilson Creek Winery, 35960 Rancho California Road
- Producer: Wilson Creek Winery — family owned and operated
A Red Grape, Poured White
Red grapes have pale flesh — the colour lives in the skins. Press them promptly and gently, as Wilson Creek does with its Variant Series bottling, and the juice runs pale while keeping some of Cabernet's body and fruit weight. Wilson Creek, the family winery on Rancho California Road best known for its Almond Sparkling Wine, built this bottling into one of its signature pours on exactly that trick. See more on the Wilson Creek vendor page or browse our white wine collection.
Tasting Notes
From the winery's official notes: prominent strawberry, melon and peach aromas with subtle floral back notes; on the palate the fruit integrates with the wine's acidity and sweetness, strawberry and melon recurring in a semi-sweet frame.
How to Enjoy
The winery's own pairings: spicy Thai dishes, curry-spiced dishes, and fruit-vinaigrette salads with goat cheese — the sweetness is built for heat and tang. Serve well chilled.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can a Cabernet be white? Colour comes from grape skins, not the flesh. Wilson Creek soft-presses its Cabernet Sauvignon so most colour stays in the skins, producing a white (pale) wine from a red grape — the blanc-de-noir method.
Is it sweet? Semi-sweet — the winery's sheet lists residual sugar of 2.7 (2021), and its notes describe fruit integrating with sweetness.
How strong is it? 11.1% ABV on the winery's 2021 tech sheet; an earlier official sheet reads 11.0%, so check your bottle if precision matters.
Red grape, white wine, Temecula sunshine — order Wilson Creek White Cabernet Sauvignon from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.