BOUNDARY BREAKS CABERNET FRANC

In the Finger Lakes, Cabernet Franc is the signature red grape variety. Like Riesling, it tolerates the cold weather during the winter. It also ripens consistently during the shorter growing season. We have also discovered vineyard practices that suppress the less-desirable green, herbaceous quality sometimes found in Cab Franc wines. The result is a pleasing, fruit-driven wine that is universally food-friendly.

The two vineyard techniques that have a positive effect on the wine’s character are early leaf-removal, and crop-thinning just prior to the ripening phase of the fruit’s development. We remove leaves near the newly-formed grape clusters early in the season to expose the berries to maximum sunlight. We reduce the number of clusters on a vine to ensure that the remaining clusters all ripen successfully. These two techniques yield a more balanced wine, and they are among the many reasons that we like to say, “good wine is made in the vineyard.”

Cab Franc is becoming a more popular wine throughout the US as more consumers discover it. It has always been a core component of Bordeaux-blends made in France, but it is now proving that as a varietal on its own, it delivers exceptional quality at an affordable price.