Cabernet Franc Food Pairings

When was the last time you heard someone order a bottle of Cabernet Franc at a restaurant? Or saw one poured at a dinner party? We bet never. Sure . . . you’ve likely tasted it as a blending grape in red Bordeaux, Napa Meritages and in blends from Washington State, Argentina, Australia, and other countries. But as a stand-alone varietal, we bet never.

Cabernet Franc, along with Sauvignon Blanc, is a parent of Cabernet Sauvignon – arguably the most-loved red wine in the world. As such, we’re confounded that wine lovers haven’t been more curious about Cab Franc. One might argue that the wine is hard to find. But with Cab Franc available from France, Italy, South Africa, California, Long Island, and NY’s Finger Lakes region, we say you just haven’t looked in the right places. Yes, it may not be on your supermarket shelf, but quality wine stores will surely have bottlings. 

If you say that you don’t know what food to pair with Cab Franc, well you’ve come to the right place. We’ve found two great pairing for the wine, as have our fellow bloggers who invite you to join us for a Twitter chat on Saturday, March 9^th at 11 am EST to discover food pairings for Cab Franc from around the world.

But first, the wine. Let’s start with the most famous source of Cab Franc – the Loire Valley in France. For an outstanding example of this varietal, we’ve chosen Charles Joguet’s Les Varennes du Grand Clos 2014 from the commune of Chinon ($38).

• 

• 

Joguet’s vineyard of 40+-year-old, ungrafted vines is located near the gravelly banks of the Vienne River (a tributary of the Loire). There the sand-clay-limestone soils produce a lighter style of Cab Franc than from other slopes in the Loire region. If you’ve never tasted Cabernet Franc from Chinon, this wine from Joguet is an excellent expression of the grape. Unlike Cabernet Sauvignon, which is full-bodied with vibrant red and black fruits, this Franc is medium-bodied, tasting of sweet raspberries but with mineral overtones. Where Cab Sauvignon serves up power and richness, this Cab Franc offers great finesse and elegance. With this wine, we love the Fine Cooking recipe for Rigatoni with Summer Squash, Spicy Sausage and Goat Cheese, a pairing we reviewed in our earlier blog post. Please click here for the complete discussion and recipe.

If your preference is for heartier fare, we think that New York’s Union Square Café’s Rib Steak over Arugula Salad is another superb pairing for Cab Franc.

We reviewed this pairing in an earlier blog post as well. Please access the post here for a link to the recipe and our discussion of the pairing. Note that with this salad, you might want to consider a Cab Franc from the Central Coast (Santa Barbara) of California. Our go-to Cali producer is Roark Wine Company ($30) in Buellton, CA. Principally because of richer soils and warmer growing conditions, Roark’s Cab Franc tends to be a touch fruitier and bit less nervy than the Joguet. Still pure and precise, but with smoother edges. Think Notre Dame versus Joguet’s Empire State Building. Perfect with the rich Rib Steak and the tangy, peppery Arugula.

• 

• 

If you sample these wine pairings, will Cab Franc find a home in your wine vocabulary? We bet yes. After all, how can you turn down an opportunity to meet the parent of Cabernet Sauvignon?

Here’s a listing of all the great food pairing experiences with Cabernet Franc:

• 2 oz Pours: 5 Cali Cab Francs by Nicole of Somm’s Table
• At the Brasserie: Domaine de la Noblaie Pierre de Tuf 2014 with Chanterelle Mushroom & Herb Omelet by Cindy of Grape Experiences
  
• Cabernet Franc from Couples Paired with Lamb Stew from Gwendolyn of Wine Predator
  
• Cabernet Franc Rosé Paired with Pasta e Piselli by Linda of My Full Wine Glass
  
• Cabernet Franc: A Vegetarian’s Best Friend by Lori of Dracaena Wines
  
• California Cab Franc with a Homey Casual Meal by A Day in the Life on the Farm
  
• Chicken + Loire Valley Cabernet Franc — A Devilishly Delicious Pairing by Nancy of Pull That Cork
  
• Experimenting Chilean Perez Cruz Cabernet Franc with Five (Sweet, Sour, Bitter, Salty and Umami) Tasty Meat by Pinny of Chinese Food and Wine Pairings
  
• Ironstone 2016 Cabernet Franc: Comparing the Reserve and the Not Reserve by Cam of Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Leah Jorgensen’s Blanc de Cabernet Franc Paired with Red Lentil Soup by Lauren of The Swirling Dervish
  
• Portobello Mushroom Chicken Braise with Dracaena Reserve Cabernet Franc by David of Cooking Chat