Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Sauvignon's lighter, more aromatic parent, with red fruit and herbs. It's the top red grape of the Finger Lakes, Michigan and Virginia, and a blending staple in Napa.
Cabernet Franc is one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon, and in many cool American wine regions it's the better grape. It ripens earlier, handles cold winters better and gives fresher, more aromatic wines. That's why it's become the leading red grape of New York's Finger Lakes, northern Michigan and Virginia, and an important blending grape in Napa Valley.
What It Tastes Like
Cabernet Franc is medium-bodied, with red cherry, raspberry and strawberry, plus herbal notes of bell pepper and dried herbs, violets and a pencil-shavings or graphite edge. Tannins are finer than in Cabernet Sauvignon. In warm climates it gets riper and darker. In cool ones it's crunchy and savory, like the reds of France's Loire Valley.
Where It Grows
The Finger Lakes and Long Island make some of the country's best Cabernet Franc. In Michigan it's the leading red on the Leelanau Peninsula and Old Mission Peninsula and along the Lake Michigan Shore. Virginia has made it a signature grape. California uses it in Bordeaux-style blends in Napa, Sonoma and Paso Robles, and Washington's Columbia Valley and Walla Walla Valley make excellent varietal versions.
What to Look For
- Single-variety Cabernet Franc from the Finger Lakes, Michigan or Virginia.
- Rosé of Cabernet Franc, a cool-climate summer favorite.
- Bordeaux-style blends with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Cabernet Franc ice wine, a pink, berry-scented rarity.
Where to Find Cabernet Franc
Wine regions on American Winery Guide where Cabernet Franc is grown or poured: