Always walk straight past the cabernet sauvignon aisle? It’s time to change that.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that cabernet might not be for you. For starters, this rich red wine is often described as being big and bold, and that it will give you a mouthful of tannin. It also doesn’t help that words like ‘power’, ‘cellar-worthy’ and even ‘cigar box’ are commonly used to define them – it’s all a bit old-school macho. While cabernet can certainly be all these things, you’d be missing out on so much more if you really do avoid it; these wines can be downright pretty. So, if you’re yet to be converted to cabs, here are three reasons to give this variety another go.

1. Cabernet is freshening up

Cabernet has always been one of the more intense members of the red wine family – and celebrated for that, too. Originating in France’s Bordeaux, cabernet is grown right around Australia, and we’re seeing some unexpected star regions emerge (oh hey, Yarra Valley). However, South Australia’s Coonawarra and Margaret River in Western Australia have long been our two benchmark regions for world-class cabernet, so they are just two excellent places to start when getting reacquainted with this variety.

A bottle of the Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

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Winemaker Dan McNicol from Coonawarra’s Katnook Estate understands why some people are hesitant to try cabernet, given its reputation for being such a big wine. However, he says there are many brighter and fresher styles of cabernet now rolling out, especially from his own region. “I think there’s a collective shift with producers moving into a more modern style,” Dan says.

At Katnook, Dan says that means nailing approachability and drinkability, while still capturing the variety’s hallmark characters as well as the essence of the region and the variety’s incredible ability to age. “With cabernet, I’m wanting some ripe cassis, blue fruits and mulberry flavours. We’re also focusing on a soft, juicy palate, and getting some fine, velvety tannins and a seamless structure to give it a nice, rounded mouthfeel,” he says. For a true taste of Coonawarra’s distinctive terra rossa soils, hunt down the bright, black-fruited and silky Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.

Another great Coonawarra example is the Little Giant Cabernet Sauvignon – with its distinctively squat bottle and wombat on the label, you can’t miss it. This is a dense and brooding expression of cabernet, and you can feel even better about buying it because proceeds from these sales support Wires Wild Life Rescue’s work in preserving its cover model, the wombat.

A bottle of the LIttle Giant Cabernet Sauvignon

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2. Aged cabernet is brilliant, but you can skip the cellaring

One of cabernet’s best-loved traits is its ability to age – often for literal decades. What starts out as a rich, layered wine with bold fruit flavours and striking tannins mellows over time to become more savoury, integrated and subtle. Of course, a young cabernet needs to have all these qualities in check for it to age so well, in addition to the ideal storage conditions to get it right (not to mention the patience to resist cracking it open too soon).

A bottle of the Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon

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If all that sounds too hard, you can skip the whole cellaring thing and try a top cabernet already aged for you. For an excellent example that’s been developing in the bottle for 10 years, check out the Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon 2013. Get some wine-curious friends together, chip in to buy a bottle, serve up a dinner to go with it (we’d go for a simple grilled steak or beef and mushroom stew), and get into it. You’ll be able to taste just how lovely all those herbal, tobacco and cassis flavours are when they meet a fine structure and savoury tannins.

3. South Australian cabs can keep everyone happy

Whether you’re into organics, flavour bombs or super food-friendly wines, cabernet offers the lot. And even though you can find cabernet in almost every other region on our shores, there’s no denying that South Australia does this variety extremely well.

If you’re looking to stay under budget and make an ethical choice at the same time, the vegan-friendly Farm Hand Organic Cabernet Sauvignon is for you. This medium-bodied wine comes from a certified organic producer – always look for the logo on the bottle to be guaranteed organic – so sustainability is front and centre. It’s also deliciously easy to drink, and all for less than $15.

Over in the Barossa, the Grant Burge Barossa Ink Cabernet Sauvignon is a full-flavoured expression, with jammy dark fruits that make this wine a great switch-up for fans of shiraz. Despite the big hit of flavour, this wine is balanced and has fine tannins, with all its elements in balance.

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From Clare Valley, the Taylors St Andrew Cabernet Sauvignon is another different style that reflects this family winery’s place in the wine world. This cab is big on flavour with cassis and blackberry fruit sitting alongside cedar oak notes and fine tannins. Enjoy this one now for lovely drinking, or this could also turn out to be the wine you stash away that kick-starts your cabernet collection.

And as yet another region where cabernet shines, look to McLaren Vale. This region may be best-known for its juicy shiraz, but overlook its cabernets at your peril, as proven in the Chapel Hill The Vinedresser Cabernet Sauvignon. Expect black fruits and herbal flavours, with mouth-filling, fine-grained tannins coming together to complete this over-achieving wine.