Does Champagne have the world’s most expensive grapes? We thought so but now it seems that you have to pay as much for cabernet sauvignon grapes in Napa Valley, California. For one kilo of Napa cabernet sauvignon you pay 7 USD, compared to between 5.20 and 6.20 euros for one kilogram of Champagne grapes. Other wine regions, of course, also have grape growers who sell their grapes to négociant but they would never come close to these prices.
Cabernet sauvignon is by far the most popular grape in California. In 2016, 37% of nursery sales were cabernet sauvignon, way before pinot noir and chardonnay with 16% each. In fourth place is pinot grigio with 7%, a rather sharp decline for this grape compared to recent years’ popularity.
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