Cabernet franc

Cabernet Franc is the most important red grape variety in the Loire and is also widely grown in Bordeaux. There it is almost always blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to give the wines bouquet and complexity. The variety thrives excellently in the Loire and the best wines come from the tuffeaux limestone slopes of Chinon and Bourgeil. This grape variety also has great potential in some overseas regions and produces wonderful wines. The wines from the Gimblett Gravels of Hawke’s Bay in New Zealand, as well as the Cabernet Franc wines from Niagara, Canada, deserve special mention. Here, the grape variety plays an outstanding role in the production of Canadian Icewine.