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Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
Cabernet Franc Rising In Napa Valley
Cabernet Franc grapes, the 'father of Cabernet Sauvignon,' are gaining in popularity in Napa Valley For years, the Cabernet Franc grape has been considered just a blending grape in Napa Valley, overshadowed by the bigger, bolder, and more famous Cabernet Sauvignon grape. But recently, more Cabernet Franc wines have appeared in Napa Valley, almost always selling out immediately to avid customer lists. Another interesting fact is that Napa Valley Cabernet Franc grapes have been more expensive to purchase than Cabernet Sauvignon since 2016. According to the Napa Valley Crop Report, Cabernet Franc averaged between $500 and $1000 more per ton than Cabernet Sauvignon. For example, in 2023, Napa Valley Cabernet Franc grapes averaged $10,633 per ton, whereas Cabernet Sauvignon averaged $9235 per ton. Plus Cabernet Franc wines taste distinctly different from Cabernet Sauvignon wines, even though Cabernet Franc is considered 'the father of Cabernet Sauvignon' and is the older grape. Known most as the signature red grape of the Loire Valley where it produces medium-bodied savory wines tasting of dried berries, herbs and aromas of violets; in Napa Valley, it becomes more fleshy with velvety tannins, ripe black currants, many different spices, and a nose of violets. So what is up with Cabernet Franc in Napa Valley? Why is it more expensive than Cabernet Sauvignon? Why does it consistently sell out to consumers, but not many wineries produce it? Is Cabernet Franc rising as a new wine trend in Napa Valley? To answer these questions, I attended the Napa Valley Auction this year (which raised $6.5 million for local charities) and approached the seven wineries that featured 100% Cabernet Franc wines at the barrel auction, out of 100 winery auction barrels. These seven wineries included: Antinori Napa Valley, Barnett Vineyards, Cakebread Cellars, Crocker-Starr, Covert, Frog's Leap, and The WineFoundry. Over the course of our conversations and tastings, three clear themes rang through in the answers of all seven winemakers and winery representatives as they talked about the special attributes of growing and crafting Cabernet Franc wine. 'The reason so few wineries grow it is because it is harder to grow and needs to be grown in the right type of soil,' stated Pam Starr, Co-Owner and Founding Winemaker with Crocker-Starr Winery. 'Cabernet Franc vines need to be planted in a soil that is well draining so that you keep the balance and the freshness of it.' This may be partially why only 1224 bearing acres of Cabernet Franc are grown in Napa Valley, compared to over 25,000 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, according to the Napa Valley Crop Report. David Tate, Winemaker and General Manager with Barnett Vineyards, agrees with Pam Starr. 'We grow our Cab Franc at the top of Spring Mountain. It's cooler there with well-draining soil, but the vines still get enough sun to ripen fully. I don't like a Cab Franc if it tastes green,' he said. However, he also added that his small production sells out right away every year to the wine club. 'People enjoy trying it, because it is something different. It is lighter in style than Cab.' Due to its tendency to exhibit strong herbal and bell pepper flavors if not grown in the right location, several winemakers described the challenge of 'taming the green notes,' in Cabernet Franc. 'It's a harder grape to grow and to get ripe to avoid the pyrazines (green notes),' stated Nikki Williams, Winemaker with Cakebread Cellars. 'But when planted on well-draining soils, it produces a light and elegant style wine with pure fruit, lovely floral aromas and an attractive spicy cigar box note.' Emily Floyd, Director of Sales and Hospitality at Covert Winery, admitted, 'When I was 23, I had an 'aha moment' when I first tasted Cabernet Franc. I fell in love with the grape but quickly realized that it's rare to find a good one. But at Covert, it's delicious.' And she was right. The Covert Cabernet Franc barrel offering was brimming with ripe berries, spice, and a very smooth, elegant, and velvety long finish. 'It was made by our consulting winemaker, Julien Fayard, and Assistant Winemaker, Sam Buckingham. It sells out immediately when we release it each year,' she reported. Pouring Wine Samples at the Napa Valley Barrel Auction 2025 Each of the seven winery representatives also commented on how Cabernet Franc, due to its lighter and more elegant style, seems to be gaining increasing appreciation from consumers. 'Cabernet Franc is all about nuance and restraint,' stated Stuart Ake, with The WineFoundry, who produced a stunning example, made from grapes grown in the Stagecoach vineyard. 'People are starting to appreciate all the layers and elegance, versus the power of a big Cabernet Sauvignon. And It seems to attract a much younger audience who are more adventurous and open to exploring new things.' Jamie Alonso, Cellar Master with Antinori Napa Valley agreed. 'We always used to use Cabernet Franc as a blender, but now a lot of young people like the fresh, lighter style.' Jessica Hager, DTC Manager with Frog's Leap spoke to changing consumer tastes. 'Consumers today want something lighter and the profile of Cabernet Franc delivers this, plus provides a nice savory element.' Indeed the Frog's Leap wine is very light and elegant, with pure fruit and spice — crafted in more of a Loire Valley style, but with the added sunshine of Napa Valley. 'I believe that our organic farming methods help to ensure that our wines do not have the pyrazines of some cab francs,' she concluded. David Tate with Barnett Vineyards added, 'People enjoy trying it because it's something new after they've been tasting Cabernet Sauvignon all day. Then they get to try Cab Franc and it's fresh and floral and different.' The other aspect of Cabernet Franc wines is that it makes a great wine to pair with many different types of cuisine. Because of its lighter style and crisp acidity, it can even be matched with heavier seafood dishes and grilled vegetables, as well as the classic beef and lamb. 'I've been swarmed by sommeliers all day long because they are attracted to cabernet franc wines to pair with their restaurant food,' stated Stuart Ake, with The WineFoundry. 'I love the wonderful spices in Cab Franc, especially when the green notes turn into a dried chipotle with cardamom, cigar, and tobacco notes,' added Pam Starr of Crocker-Starr. 'It's my favorite wine to pair with food,' said Jaime Alonso with Antinori. 'I think it pairs especially well with lamb chops and Italian food.' Visitors Celebrating at the Napa Valley Barrel Auction 2025, Louis Martini Winery Other highly rated Cabernet Franc wine brands from Napa Valley include: Caladan, Realm Cellars, Turnbull, Chappellet, La Jota, Pahlmeyer, Lithology, and Lang & Reed, amongst others. So is Cabernet Franc rising in Napa Valley? Well, it appears that consumers are quite attracted to its lighter more elegant style and most of the wine sells out to wine club members upon release. But currently, very little Cabernet Franc is grown in Napa Valley, so scarcity could also be playing a role in the high sales record. But will Cabernet Franc ever replace the powerful and very lucrative hold that Cabernet Sauvignon has on Napa Valley, with some of the most expensive and collectible wines in America comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa? Perhaps the answer lies in the words of Stuart Ake of The Wine Foundery: 'I will trumpet the subtle nods and elegant restraint of the Cabernet Franc grape until the end, but it doesn't mean I also don't appreciate the depth, breadth and chiseled muscle power of Cabernet Sauvignon.' So both styles of wine are equally attractive. In the end, it is positive to see Cabernet Franc as a new rising star in Napa Valley, even if it may be lighter than the bright wattage of Cabernet Sauvignon. Teresa Wall, Communications Director with Napa Valley Vintners, agrees: 'It's exciting to see vintners across Napa Valley focusing on the Cabernet Franc variety and consumers becoming more curious about this remarkable grape,' she concluded.
Wall Street Journal
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
Ready to Venture Outside Your Wine Comfort Zone? A Few Pointers
What kind of wine drinker are you? Some regularly search for an unknown and obscure wine; others prefer drinking the tried and true. I'm both kinds, depending on my mood and the situation. Sometimes I'll throw caution—and cash—to the wind and buy a bottle I know nothing about. Then again, on occasions when I can't risk disappointment (a dinner party, a gift), I'll fall back on old favorites. Curious about how intrepid other drinkers might be, I talked to some wine pros about how they encourage customers to venture outside their vinous comfort zones. Their respective methodologies were remarkably similar. When it comes to buying unknown wines, I have two key parameters: I'll rarely spend more than $30 a bottle (and often much less), and I will never buy more than two bottles of a wine I don't know. I overrode that second criterion recently—to my regret. I purchased a case of a certain rosé from California that I hadn't tasted in years, figuring it would be just as good as it had been long ago. It was not. I'm always happy to take a recommendation from a retailer or sommelier, and my overall rate of satisfaction in such cases has been good: more than 50%. Furthermore, it's been fun to turn some new discoveries—Torrette from Valle d'Aosta, Italy, for example—into regular buys. Wine lovers I know, ranging from casual imbibers to knowledgeable oenophiles, have their own parameters when it comes to experimenting. My husband, Roger, would never buy an unknown Greek wine: Their grape names are too perplexing, he says. My chef friend Mario, a native of Calabria, Italy, draws the line at wines from California: They don't go with Italian food, he contends. My friend Neil is much more adventurous than the others. He will happily try anything from grand cru Burgundy to an inexpensive Albariño with equal pleasure. Sometimes his experiments are a great success—like the time he tried Kerner, the aromatic white from Alto Adige, on the advice of an American sommelier he met in Italy. He sought out the wine as soon as he got home and has been a fan ever since. Of course, not all Neil's experiments end as happily as his discovery of Kerner. Neil's most memorable dud also involved a rosé bought in quantity, though in his case the wine was from Hungary. Neil made the purchase on the advice of a well-known New York wine merchant who had 'never' steered him wrong. The merchant had even labeled the producer 'The King of Rosé,' which sealed the deal: Neil bought three cases of the wine without tasting it first. Big mistake. 'It was more like a herbal light red. Not at all what I was expecting,' he said. Though it took some time to work through those 36 bottles, he still has faith in the store. Nearly all the wine professionals I contacted agreed that customers might be willing to take a chance on a wine if they trust the merchant or sommelier making the recommendation, but that willingness has its limits—often geographical. If a sommelier is nudging a diner toward a different wine region, it helps if it's somewhat well-known. With a little guidance, a California wine lover might be willing to be persuaded to try a wine from Burgundy or Bordeaux, said wine director Anthony Taylor of Cru Uncorked in Moreland Hills, Ohio. In the case of customers who are particularly articulate about their preferred sort of wine and confident in their preferences, Taylor might feel safe recommending a more-obscure region or grape, as long as it aligns with those preferences. Alec Schingel, chef, owner and wine director of Robin Restaurant in St. Louis, doesn't go too far afield with recommendations to customers. He also tends to focus on value. Schingel said he might suggest 'Pinot Noir from a great producer in Irancy rather than Chambolle or Volnay.' The first is a lesser-known and reliably more-affordable appellation; the latter two, pricier Burgundy precincts. 'I think the value is great, and it introduces people to something new but still relatively safe,' Schingel explained. Similarly, at Beaupierre Wines & Spirits in Manhattan, sommelier and restaurateur-turned-retailer Yannick Benjamin and his wife and co-owner, Heidi Turzyn Benjamin, suggest unfamiliar wines that aren't a great stretch geographically from those customers already know. They might prompt a white Burgundy drinker to try a wine made from Savagnin, a white grape of Jura, just east of Burgundy. 'I speak passionately about the magic of the Jura, having visited multiple times,' Benjamin said. While most of the professionals I contacted acknowledged the challenge of getting customers to try something truly unknown, Jeremy Block, proprietor of Some Good Wine in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, said he has no trouble suggesting wines from places lesser-known as wine regions, such as the Canary Islands of Spain. Block credits his location near New York University: 'We happen to be in the 10003 zip code with loads of NYU people and young people with lots of money, so getting [them] to try new things is very easy.' According to Harris Polakoff, owner of Pogo's Wine & Spirits in Dallas, his customers are willing to experiment only up to a point. 'We try and find what they normally like to drink and stay in that realm,' he said. For a drinker of Sancerre, the Loire Valley white made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape, he might recommend a Sauvignon Blanc from California. It makes sense to me that wine pros only encourage small steps outside their customers' comfort zone. Their rate of success is likely to be higher that way. But I couldn't help wondering what would happen if they chose something completely obscure. I decided to put myself forward as a test case and asked two New York retailers I trust for something totally unexpected—as long as the wine was under $35 a bottle. I also asked them to limit their recommendations to white wines, just to narrow the field of potential candidates. One retailer's choice was terrific. The 2023 Bodegas Los Bermejos Diego Seco ($29), from the Canary Islands, was a delight. I'd be happy to buy this minerally, citrusy, spicy, dry white with notes of herb again. But I'd take pains to avoid the other recommended wine, the 2024 Diamantis Magoutes Vienyard Siatista Vieilles Vignes Blanc ($25) from Greece. A white wine made from the native red Xinomavro grape, it was grippy, even rather tannic—intriguing on the first sip, exhausting by the third. Although my experiment was not an unqualified success, I was happy to have tried both the wines and happy I hadn't spent too much money. I'd trust both retailers to propose future obscurities, though I might specify that the white wine should be made from a white grape. Email Lettie at wine@
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Jalapeno wine set to be the drink of the summer - with fans on TikTok calling it a 'game changer'
Cometh the summer, cometh one new drink that we can't get enough of - and this year's viral beverage of choice is a spicy one. Jalapeno wine - chilled white wine served with slices of hot green pepper - isn't strictly it's certainly gained a huge spike in popularity thanks to fans sharing their love of it on TikTok. While wine purists might have a hard time dropping slices of a pepper - often frozen - that instantly challenge a bottle's delicate flavours with a kick of heat, those looking to add a twist to their favourite vino are impressed with how it tastes. One called it a 'game-changer', while another admitted they may never imbibe a glass of Sauvignon Blanc without an icy spice hit again. Texan Grace Ramadan shared on TikTok: 'I fear I will never be able to drink my sauvy b the same way again', adding 'it's the 'drink of the summer, because it was so easy'. It's also inexpensive, requiring a normal bottle of white wine, with one or two jalapeno peppers, which generally cost less than £1. Recent years have seen a variety of drinks enjoy the summer spotlight, with retro Italian favourite Aperol Spritz hugely popular in recent years. Elsewhere, another yesteryear drink, orange wine - where the grape skins ferment with the wine to give an amber colour - also had a moment and continues to be popular as a seasonal tipple. However, while most summer cocktails require a little effort - see the sorbet prosecco floats of 2021 - sneaking a few slices of hot pepper from the freezer to your glass is super easy. Drinkers can make the flavour more intense by adding the jalapeno first, then pouring chilled wine over it, say experts. British TikToker @Traveltothefridge said the trend was ideal for people who wanted a less-hassle take on the spicy margarita cocktail trend, which blends mango and lime juice, with tequila, triple sec and a chili syrup. The influencer, who paired the pepper with a Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc, wrote: 'This hack is an absolute game changer. I've always been a spicy marg gal but i'm now officially a spicy wine gal!' The iced slices ensure that the chili isn't overpowering, say fans of jalapeno wine, suggesting that it offers a warm heat, rather than something that burns. However, those who prefer a red-hot hit have tried other variations, including where the pepper has been fermented in a bottle of wine - saying it makes for a much hotter proposition. And some people remove the seeds to dampen down the fire a little. Earlier this month it was revealed that Britain is being ' flooded' with fake versions of popular wines, according to the 'Sherlock Holmes' of vino. Maureen Downey told The Wine Blast Podcast that organised criminals are manufacturing 'high-end counterfeits' of well-known labels sold in British supermarkets and off-licences such as Yellow Tail. The Australian brand distributes 13.5million cases of wine across the world every year, including Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and is distinguishable by its black glass bottles wrapped in colourful labels with kangaroo art work. The expert said the bottles are being replicated 'to a professional degree' on an 'unprecedented degree' which has never been seen before. Ms Downey said: 'An Asian organised crime gang has partnered with a European organised wine gang to flood the market with counterfeit Yellow Tail.' In order to make such accurate copies, she claimed the gangs are spending half a million dollars to get the same digital printer used by the brands producers. @traveltothefridge Thanks to the TikTok girlies… this hack is an absolute game changer. I've always been a spicy marg gal but i'm not officially a spicy wine gal! 🥂🌶️ #jalapenowine #savvyb #summertrend #girlsnight #tiktokhack ♬ original sound - Traveltothefridge | London ✨ Wine counterfeiters previously focused on make replicas of old and rare bottles as they were the most profitable. However, Ms Downey said they have moved away from this because it requires sourcing period glass, ageing the labels and making sure the cork is ok. 'Now, they just have it all made to the same specs that the producers use. It's a different game. It's much more money. The average consumer is pretty screwed,' she added. The wine aficionado said those who drink Yellow Tail regularly would be able to tell the difference in the same way a Coca-Cola fan would know if they had been given Pepsi. It may be harder for people who are trying it for the first time or only drink it occasionally. Some other ways of checking include inspecting the bottle for spelling mistakes, poor print quality, watermarks and missing information on labels.
