Pairing Food with Cabernet Franc
Cabernet
Franc is traditionally blended in with other grapes for Bordeaux or Meritage
blends, but some small run vintages offer up some spectacular stand-alone
varietal offerings. Generally, Cabernet Franc will come off as less dense,
lighter, but more perfume than a Cabernet
Sauvignon
. A well-made Cabernet Franc should have lots of aromas of
plum, black currant on the nose, plus subtle hints of herbs and green
bell peppers, or green olives.
Food is a necessity with this light, and tart red which really shines when paired with vegetarian dishes. Anything that contains cabbage, bell peppers, or herbs (particularly rosemary, sage, thyme or
saffron), and grilled friendly vegetables like eggplant and zucchini will be zested
up by this crisp red. This wine will also match up nicely with
any tomato based dishes too.
Since Cabernet Franc is lighter to medium bodied, it will
pair up just fine with lighter meats such as Chicken
or Turkey, along with gamier fare like duck
or other game birds. It also goes along just fine with richer beef
dishes like steak or veal.
For the ultimate experience, any of the items mentioned
above, grilled, herb crusted, or with an herb sauce will be remarkable with
Cabernet Franc.
