Since I posted the sneak peek last week, I have been getting a ton of excited members contacting me about the Red Mountain Cabernet Franc that we’ll be releasing in December. With the whirl of excitement, I thought that I might write a bit about why Cabernet Franc is so great.
According to Oz Clarke’s Grapes and Wines*, Cabernet Franc is the original grape in the Cabernet family. It’s offspring, Cabernet Sauvignon, it definitely the more widely known grape in the family and is admired for creating rich, dark, tannic wines, but these qualities are highlighted by the slightly sweeter, perfumed Franc. Clarke’s description can’t be beat: "At it’s best, Cabernet Franc has an unmistakeable and ridiculously appetizing flavour of raspberries, also pebbles washed clean by pure spring water and a refreshing tang of blackcurrant leaves."
It is thought that Cabernet Franc originated in France’s Bordeaux region where it is now one of five permissible red grapes in Bordeaux, and is used mainly for blending. It was then brought to the Loire Valley, planted mostly in Chinon and Bourgueil. A few years back, the six year old child of a friend of mine who had recently returned from France announced to me, “if you really love wine, then you must go to Chinon.” I’m not going to argue with her. The Francs from Loire are perfectly balanced with fruit and earth, making them wonderful food pairing wines.
Cabernet Franc is now planted around the globe, with strong holdings in Friuli in Northern Italy, some in Australia and New Zealand, some in Canada and a bit in the cooler regions of the US. There are several producers who are now making Cabernet Franc in Washington, but just a few who are maintaining that balance of ripe raspberry and the leafy/dusty quality that is so essential with this grape.
Due to very limited qualities, this wine will not be in the December club shipment. It will, however, be available to club members only and may be purchased along with the shipment of the tasty eight Red Wine and the newest release of Malbec. For the December recipes, I am going to focus on appetizers and finger foods that pair with red wines, since this is what we find ourselves eating and drinking so much of during the holiday season and am definitely going to feature a recipe for the Red Mountain Cabernet Franc as well. Stay tuned!
*Grapes and Wines by Oz Clarke and Margaret Rand is an amazing book that got me through my sommelier training. This is a very comprehensive listing of wine grapes, their characteristics, growing regions and top producers and has gorgeous pictures. It also has an awesome reference section that lists “which grapes make which wines” if you have ever been left scratching your head in the old world section of a wine shop. It is printed in the UK, but can be found on Amazon. The shipping takes a little while but is worth the wait.
