What’s Cabernet Franc?

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Cabernet Franc is one of the most cultivated and commercially important red grape varieties in the world. It is usually used in wine blends with Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot grapes, but it is also used to make ice wine, a type of dessert wine made from grapes frozen on the vine in Canada and the United States. Cabernet Franc is lighter than Cabernet Sauvignon and produces a lighter colored wine when used on its own. The Cabernet Sauvignon grape is a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, a white grape variety.

The Cabernet Franc grape originated in the Loire Valley of France and was transported to the Bordeaux region in the 18th century. The vine can grow in a variety of soil types and can grow in colder climates than Cabernet Sauvignon. It produces small, very dark grapes with thin skins, which ripen at least a week earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Because it is somewhat harder than other grape varieties, Cabernet Franc is grown in the Bordeaux region in part as insurance against bad weather that could damage the Cabernet Sauvignon grape during harvest time.

Cabernet Franc is currently grown as a wine grape in many countries, including France, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Kosovo and Slovenia in Europe. It is also grown in Canada and many areas of the United States, as well as in China, Kazakhstan, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina and South Africa. There are many different names for grapes, depending on where they are grown. Some of its alternative names are Cabernet Gris, Aceria, Bouchet and Trouchet Noir.

The flavor of Cabernet Franc is light and smooth, yet complex, and is often used to add complexity to blends. Its flavor profile often includes berries, black currents, pepper and graphite. Sometimes it also has notes of violets, tobacco, green leaves or peppers, coffee and olives. Cabernet Franc is less acidic than many other types of red grapes.

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