Education : Cabernet Franc

Wine Tasting at all FOUR locations

Cabernet Franc

Saturday February 8 from 11am-4pm.

(each store will also have other wines out to taste)

A little more education: We are going to try to feature either a grape or a wine region each week at our stores. We will give you some background information on the grape or region and feature a wine that highlights what we are featuring. We will taste that wine on Saturday at all four of our locations. We will post it here in our blog and send it out in our emails - click here to sign up for our emails

On our blog, click on the  label "Education" and you can read all of the education articles (see the right column under the heading "labels".

Grape: Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is a black-skinned French grape variety grown in most wine producing nations. The variety is most famously known as the third grape of Bordeaux and can be found in many of the world’s top Bordeaux blend wines. Cabernet Franc most commonly appears in blended red wines, where it adds herbaceous accents of tobacco and dark spice.

Cabernet Franc is commonly compared to Cabernet Sauvignon, which is not without justification; the Cabernet Sauvignon variety is the result of a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. (Recent DNA profiling has also shown that Cabernet Franc is also one of Merlot's parents). But in the vineyard, Cabernet Franc ripens at least a week earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Franc prefers cool, inland climates such as the Loire Valley. The towns of Chinon and Saumur-Champigny are important historical bastions of varietal Cabernet Franc wines, which are prized for their ripe berry and spice elements. Lighter examples from these appellations generally exhibit graphite and red licorice notes, with darker wines showing more cigar and leather aromas.

Come taste a Wine and Cheese Place Favorite this weekend, Domaine Aimee Cabernet Franc, Minervois

It is hard to find a good Cabernet Franc that 

is not $40 or more, but we have done it....

2011 Domaine Aime Cabernet Franc....$14.99

Technical Notes:  100% Cabernet Franc.  After the grapes are harvested they are 100% destemmed, crushed, then fermented and aged in tank before bottling.  The grapes are sustainably farmed, and vinified using indigenous yeasts. There is no oak aging for this wine.

Tasting Notes:   This is a rich ripe Cabernet Franc, with none of the vegetal elements that one sometimes finds in cooler climate Cabernet Franc.  The wine is deep dark purple color.  In the mouth the wine is full of black fruit flavors, with hints of blueberry and plum.  The finish is soft and supple with ripe tannins.  This is an exceptionally easy wine to enjoy.  It is silky enough to have on its own, but rich and complex enough to enjoy with a wide variety of dishes.