Okay, so I may have pulled a fast one this week. I just might be quite familiar with Cabernet Franc. It might also be my current favorite varietal.
I have mentioned Cabernet Franc to several friends lately and few have been familiar with the varietal. What?! You are missing out! So, I thought I would secretly embed Cab Franc into the 52 Weeks of Wine series with the motive of exposing others to one of my favorite, less prominent varietals.
Cabernet Franc is a medium-bodied grape varietal that is lighter in color and body than Cabernet Sauvignon, though similar in taste. Cab Franc was originally more prominently a blending grape but is growing in popularity on its own. The first time I had a Cab Franc was at my engagement party in Amador County, California at Cielo Winery. I was instantly impressed and stuck with that wine for the evening. I recently rediscovered Cab Franc through a Denver-based winery, Infinite Monkey Theorem.
I’m often hesitant towards local wineries when I am in a place that is not known for growing wine…such as Denver. However, a local wine shop owner convinced me to take home the Infinite Monkey Theorem Cab Franc and it is my current favorite! Not to mention, it has a really cool bottle:
As for this Cabernet Franc, my husband said it best: “you get great bang for your buck on the flavor to weight ratio.” One of these days I’m going to convince him to guest blog for a 52 Weeks of Wine varietal – he has great insights! You still get all the great dark fruit smell of a cab or another California, fruit-forward wine, but the look is a bit different. The color is a purplish red and much more clear and less viscous than a cab sauv. The taste is light and silky. I truly hope you’ll try a cab franc and share your thoughts – at least so you have more people to talk with about this varietal!