Recently, the world lost two of the most important figures in California’s wine history when Jim Clendenen and Dr. David Bruce passed away. Clendenen was 68. Bruce was 89. These men were iconic figures in California’s world of fine wine, but not in the way many people think of domestic wine history: They were producers of great cabernet sauvignons that can win head-to-head contests with mighty Bordeaux. Cabernet put California on the international wine stage. Today’s cabs command outrageous prices and are considered highly collectible the world over. What Clendenen and Bruce did, with far less public recognition, was shine a spotlight on two grape varieties that decades ago had checkered histories and were always poorly understood. Their efforts helped fixed that. Not to demean cabernet’s success, but it’s a grape that’s awfully forgiving. It allows winemakers much latitude in making excellent wines. It grows in many locations, withstands some …