Comparing Cabernet Franc from France, Virginia, and California plus pairings!
Since 2015, December 4 has been recognized as Cabernet Franc Day. Why? The man credited with bringing Cabernet Franc vines from Bordeaux to the Loire Valley and planting them at the Abbey of Bourgueil, Cardinal Richelieu, died on December 4, 1642, and so the powers that be (aka Lori Budd) decided that it was the best day. In the Loire Valley, Cabernet Franc became a stand alone wine instead of just being part of the blend like in Bordeaux. Today Cabernet Franc is among the 20 most planted wine grapes and grown around the world. In character, Cabernet Franc is similar to cabernet sauvignon, but lighter, more peppery, and much more herbal with notes of bell pepper and green bean. No surprise: DNA evidence shows Cabernet Franc crossed with Sauvignon Blanc to become Cabernet Sauvignon.
So pop a cork of Cab Franc — still, rose, or sparkling– and toast Cardinal Richelieu!
To honor the memory and accomplishments of Cardinal Richelieu, each year Sue and I gather different Cabernet Franc wines or cab franc blends from different regions of the world. Continue reading →
Wine Predator Gwendolyn Alley at Cantina Antonelli in Montefalco, Umbria, Italy
A bee finds sustenance from a flower in the final moments of the day in Umbria, Italy at Cantina Antonelli during our final evening with members of Consorzio Tutela Vini Montefalco. Just one of many moments that I am grateful for this Thanksgiving.
I’m grateful this year for the amazing wine travel experiences during press trips in Italy and Austria to meet winemakers and taste their wines in Tuscany, Umbria, Puglia, Emilia-Romagna, and Vienna during seven weeks from mid-May until early July.
Happy Carménère Day! Did you ever notice that autumn, and in particular, November is full of these “wine days”? Some of them have no particular rhyme or reason except it’s the season for red wine, but some have a history with a date, like Carménère which was basically rediscovered on this date after being considered extinct. Turns out, while it may have been missing in its home of France, it was everywhere in Chile masquerading as merlot! You’d think someone would have noticed before, but only 30 years ago they figured out. before that, they just chalked up the differences to “terroir” to explain why Merlot in Chile was so distinct compared to Merlot from anywhere else.
Samuel Louis Smith Organic Santa Lucia Highlands Gamay Noir: Pair with Pate, Hearty Salads Morrocan Chicken
While on the third Wednesday of November we celebrate Zinfandel, the third Thursday is reserved for Gamay because it’s the day that the new harvest of Gamay Nouveau is released. And what a cause for celebration this was back in the day when they routinely ran out of wine! The Gamay grapes would be get picked in September and begin their journey from juice to wine. But not all Gamay is destined to be “nouveau” and drank as soon as it is finished fermenting. Gamay Noir is also made into wines worthy of aging like Samuel Louis Smith’s organic Gamay. These wines offer bright fruit, peppery notes, and acidity that work well with holiday meals like poultry or ham, and certainly with appetizers especially if you have pate on the table!
For Holiday Turkey Pairings, Try Old Vine Zinfandel from Kehret, Lone Madrone, Writer’s Block
After what wines pair with which Halloween candies (just say no in my opinion unless you’re pairing with a non-dry sherry or a port), or which wines to pair with paella or corned beef, the biggest question on everyone’s mind is what to pair with holiday turkey— and all the trimmings. So if what wine to pair with turkey dinner is on your mind, worry yourself no more as we have answers to your questions! And (hint hint!) we’re celebrating Zinfandel Day too!
Wine Predator Gwendolyn Alley with amphora in Portugal
Question: When is a red wine more like a white wine— complete with chewy tannins? Answer: When it is an amber wine or orange wine! These wines with their typical golden color are made using the ancient technique of leaving a white grape on the skins for an extended period of time — long enough to gain a distinctive color. Often this is combined with another ancient technique of fermenting, aging, or storing the wine in large clay vessels with different names depending on the country of origin:
in Portugal as Talha
in Italy as Anfore, orci or giare
in Georgia as Qvevri or kvevri
in Spain as Tinaja
And in English, Amphora! Happy Amphora Wine Day! Georgia, “the cradle of wine,” is the original home for using these large clay vessels which they call qvevri. In 2023, we tasted and paired three with Georgian cuisine a few days before I left for Portugal’s Amphora Wine Day which in 2025 is today November 15, and to celebrate this year, we have three more amber wines from Georgia, with two of them made in qvevri or kvevri .
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 