The first Cabernet Franc grapes came to California in the 1870s but almost all of these vineyards were lost to the Phylloxera epidemic and were not replaced. There was a resurgence here in the 1960s where the grape was used mostly as a part of Bordeaux style blends coming out of Napa and Sonoma. It's star has finally started to rise and it is becoming more and more prominent in California for the production of a varietal wines with just a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot added for complexity and structure. Wines made from this grape are being found winning big awards in Wine Competitions across the country as its great properties are becoming better understood. Look for this to increase as more and more California winemakers learn to produce this grape in the style that has made it famous in Saint Emilion and Loire.

Cultivation: This is a grape that does better in cooler climates than it's son, Cabernet Sauvignon. It does not have the same aversion to having wet feet, and can be grown on clay and volcanic soils quite successfully. Cabernet Franc tends to bud early and as a consequence, ripens early, which helps grape growers in France buffer themselves from losing their entire crop if an early frost comes and takes the later ripening grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc is not overly susceptible to disease except for downy and powdery mildews. It is an extremely vigorous grower with moderate yields and large grapes that have fairly thick skin, but not very overly high tannins based on the pulp to skin ratio.

Flavor Profiles: The wines made from this grape have a natural balance between tannin and acid with some great fruitiness and spice. It can taste a great deal like Merlot, only spicier and very similar to Cabernet Sauvignon, only more herbaceous, with lower tannin and lighter color and body. The fruit characteristics tends to blackberries, ripe plums, strawberries, raspberry, cherry and cassis. The most common non-fruit characteristics tend to be mint, green olives, licorice, green peppers, nutmeg, herbs, leather, earth, oak, cedar and a hint of violets.

Wine Pairing Considerations The California versions of this wine generally have more tannin and less acid then those of it's home country of France. With that in mind, it pairs well with most of the same foods as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. The lighter versions (those with less tannin and more acid) pair well with things like fish, light chicken, german schnitzel or quiche. The lighter tannin actually makes it easier to pair with a wider range of food than its more tannic partners, although many of the same bridges and cooking styles work well with Cabernet Franc.

Major California Growing Regions: Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Sierra Foothills, Sonoma, Temecula