cabernet franc

  1. Forward Thinking: How Cab Franc is Changing New York’s Red Wine Conversation

    Forward Thinking: How Cab Franc is Changing New York’s Red Wine Conversation

    "Cab Franc is an immigrant success story," says John Leo of Onabay Vineyards, describing how this classic European variety has found a proper home in New York State. A new coalition, Cab Franc Forward NY, agrees and is championing it as the state's signature red variety. Their inaugural Grand Tasting in Manhattan on February 4, 2025, brought together thirty-five wineries and over 500 attendees, including 280 wine professionals. The unprecedented gathering displayed Cabernet Franc's growing prominence—it's now New York's most planted red vinifera grape, with 638 acres under vine. 

  2. Marchese Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga of San Leonardo on the Soul of Their Craft

    Marchese Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga of San Leonardo on the Soul of Their Craft

    Anselmo is very easy to like. Tall, charismatic, a full head of hair, and always smiling when he talks. He radiates a sense of joy and pride when he presents San Leonardo and its wine. This small winery, located at the southern end of Trentino DOC in Northeast Italy, is surrounded by seemingly inhospitable terrain, endless forestry, and roaming wildlife. But somehow, the 300 hectare estate has managed to maintain a 30 hectare vineyard making some of Italy’s most interesting and unique Bordeaux blends.

    San Leonardo’s Bordeaux blend, which consists of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Carmenere, is distinctly different from the powerful and opulent Super Tuscan wines from Bolgheri. Their style leans towards a more restrained cool-climate profile that focuses on elegance, balance, and freshness, and reflects a deep understanding of their soil and vines.  

    It was Carlo Guerrieri Gonzaga, Anselmo’s father, who was responsible for the success and quality of San Leonardo’s wines. Carlo redefined winemaking at San Leonardo in the 1970s, and today, Anselmo is the proprietor that continues to focus on what Carlo has instilled in him and everyone else that works at San Leonardo.

    Anselmo will be the first to admit that his primary responsibility “…is to maintain [San Leonardo], and [he has] changed so many things just to try to maintain the identity of the work of [his] father's.”

    Grape Collective speaks with Marchese Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga about the wines of San Leonardo, and how the vision of one man could transform a small and isolated estate to produce some of the most unique and character-filled Bordeaux blend.

  3. Cabernet Franc on the Hudson: Why Wineries Are Taking the Risk

    Cabernet Franc on the Hudson: Why Wineries Are Taking the Risk

    A vitis vinifera, Cabernet Franc is one of the world’s great grapes, of course, a fundamental building block of great Bordeaux and Bordeaux blends around the world. It’s the standout red grape in the Loire region of France, used to make stunning Chinon. We've been fans of Cab Franc from Long Island, N.Y., for many years and have had some outstanding examples from California.

  4. A Beginner’s Guide to Canada's ‘Cool’ Wines: Navigating the Niagara Peninsula

    A Beginner’s Guide to Canada's ‘Cool’ Wines: Navigating the Niagara Peninsula

    If we play a game of word association, it’s very likely the word “Ice wine” leads us to think “Canada”, and for good reason. But the reality is that Canada’s wine industry goes all the way back to the 1800s, and it has been quietly evolving into a comprehensive high quality producer of wines of different styles. 

  5. Bruna Flaibani on Biodynamics and why Friuli is Kissed by Luck

    Bruna Flaibani on Biodynamics and why Friuli is Kissed by Luck

    The Flaibani estate is located in Cividale del Friuli in the Colli Orientali del Friuli area very close to the Slovenian border. The Flaibanis have three hectares of planted vineyards, all terraced and with steep slopes, that resemble a garden surrounded by six hectares of woods. They are working with vines over 100 years old with their youngest vines over 20 years. They produce less than 10,000 bottles of six different types of wine from Schioppettino, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Friulano, and Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso. Their wines have a vibrancy, energy and quality that validate all the passion and hard work behind them.

  6. The Red Wave Is Here: It’s Cabernet Franc

    The Red Wave Is Here: It’s Cabernet Franc

    Sometimes – rarely, but sometimes – we taste a wine so exciting that it takes us on a journey. That just happened. It was from Murrieta’s Well in the Livermore Valley and it was sharply focused, with dark berries, variety-tagged green bell pepper, persistent acidity, herbs and vibrating energy.

    It was Cabernet Franc, from the 2019 vintage. That’s not a total surprise. If you’ve been wondering about the red wave that pundits keep talking about, it’s Cabernet Franc.

  7. Cool Intentions: The Yarra Valley with Tim Shand of Punt Road

    Cool Intentions: The Yarra Valley with Tim Shand of Punt Road

    Kicked out from his arts degree program, Tim Shand found inspiration in the glass and pivoted to heralding winemaking duties at Punt Road in historic Yarra Valley, Victoria.
  8. Lang & Reed: Franc Talk About Making It in Napa Without Billions

    Lang & Reed: Franc Talk About Making It in Napa Without Billions

    “That’s where the story comes in. People want the story. They want the romance that’s with it. They want an association with it. People want an experience, to have visited the winery or met the people who made it.” -John Skupny
  9. Macari Vineyards: Showing Long Island's Potential

    Macari Vineyards: Showing Long Island's Potential

    "We have cattle, goats, pigs, different natural areas. Any type of diversity it's going to be better for growing whatever you're growing, in this case the vines." Joseph T. Macari Jr. on the importance of biodiversity.
  10. Halcyon Days: A Chat with Tyler Elwell

    Halcyon Days: A Chat with Tyler Elwell

    Tyler and Kim Elwell of Halcyon Wines - inspired by a love for California, the Loire Valley and a constant pursuit of wisdom, balance and love.
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