The wine grape (Vitis vinifera) cv. Cabernet Sauvignon has recently been introduced at a 1160 m altitude in the São Joaquim área (Santa Catarina State, Southern Brazil). The aim of this work was to evalúate the maturation of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes subjected to a Y training system or a vertical shoot positioning trellis (VSP). Grapes were sampled at 10-day intervals throughout their maturation during two consecutive vintage years (2004-2005 and 2005-2006). Climate data were assessed. Based on the results obtained in both vintage years at maturity, titratable acidities (TA) ranged from 0.67 to 0.85 g-100 mL-1 of tartaric with the pH fluctuating between 3.49 and 3.77. The maturation Índex (total soluble solids/TA) at maturity ranged from 26 to 35, and was always higher for berries from the VSP system. Significant differences were observed for the anthocyanin content (TMA) and total polyphenol Índex (TPI) valúes that may be attributed to differences in vintage year and climate conditions. Climatic conditions strongly influenced the grape quality, and it is important to note that São Joaquim is a warm región according to the Winkler scale, with 1668-1944 GDD °C. Under these environmental conditions, the VSP system provided better results for TSS, berry weight and acidity than the Y system, which could be seen more clearly in 2005-2006 due to lower rainfall.