Spotlight Varietals: Cab Franc and Sauv Blanc

By Rachel Brown

We’ve covered a lot in the last few articles I’ve written. We’ve talked about hybrid grapes and rosé, screw cap vs. cork and the land of magical grape growing - Pennsylvania. I’d like to take some time now to do a highlight feature on some of the most well-known varietals and give some context to what is in your glass. 

Let’s be honest, wine jargon can be really intimidating. We throw words around like ‘maceration’ and ‘botrytis’ like they’re common tongue. The big one, however, is Vitis vinifera. What exactly does it mean? What grapes are they? Why are they important? I want to start with two of the big ones: Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. 

Vitis vinifera refer to the species of grape vine that’s native to the Mediterranean, Central Europe and Southwestern Asia. These are the grandfather grapes, the OG’S, if you will. They are what all other grapes descend from.  

Let’s start with Sauvignon Blanc. This grape hails from the Bordeaux region of France but is one of the largest planted grapes in the world. There are currently 71,000 acres of the grape planted throughout France! 

The name of the grape literally translates to ‘Wild White’ and has relations to the Traminer grapes in the South West of France. Sauvignon Blanc is heavily recognized by its green herbaceous notes or ‘pyrazines’. Typically, the wine exudes notes ranging from chamomile, lemon, lime, grapefruit, apple, and guava. As far as herbal characteristics go, this grape pulls in bell pepper, jalapeño, or freshly cut grass. With its tremendously high acidity, Sauvignon Blanc is something of a palate cleanser.  

Obviously, depending on the region the grape is grown, there will be some variations to the flavor profile. Cooler climates, like it’s home region, will stay high in acid and underripe in its fruit notes. Warmer climates like Australia or California will lend sweeter and riper peach and grapefruit notes to the wine.  

This grape goes by a lot of other names: Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé. We see this grape in a White Bordeaux blend alongside Semillon and Muscadelle. In the New World of wine, we’re seeing winemakers in California treat this wine to time in oak to add texture, tannin and earthy notes. Pairing wise, Sauvignon blanc can range from dishes like spicy Chinese to soft, flakey white fish to goat cheese! The rule of thumb I live by is: if there’s green notes in the wine, pair with green things! Spicy and acidic salads made from arugula, kale and spinach will amplify the acidity and highlight the herbal qualities of the wine. 

Next, we’ll move into one of my all-time favorite grapes: Cabernet Franc! The origins of this guy also originate in the Southwest of France, most likely in the Basque area. It is widely popular in the Loire Valley and in the Bordeaux region and is used for standalone bottlings or in blends. On its own, Cabernet Franc produces medium bodied red wines with medium-high acidity levels and is full of red fruit notes like strawberry, raspberry or bramble fruit. This guy also exudes very similar notes to Sauvignon Blanc with its bell pepper notes.  

With all of those luscious red fruit notes, that makes this grape the perfect component to Bordeaux blends. Typically comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Cabernet Franc breaks up the monotony of dark fruits like plums and black cherries and will add that pop of freshness with all of those red fruit notes. It will also contribute to the acidity of the wine and give some lift at the back of the palate.  

While it does have a nice niche in reds and red blends, Cabernet Franc is also tremendous as a rosé! In that style, it allows the red fruits and the acidity to shine and remain crisp and light. Again, depending on regionality we’ll see a broad array of ripe/underripe fruit notes in the wine with earthy spices. This grape can pair across the board, it just depends on the mood you’re in! Again, because of those vegetal qualities, stuffed green bell peppers with beef and feta cheese go a long way. We can pair Cab Franc with meatballs and sauce, spicy chicken curry, lamb, fish, asparagus or artichokes. The list is endless for this wine and it should definitely be on your wine list if it’s not already! 

There are many reasons I started with these two grapes: the spotlight on France, and those pyrazine notes that transcend through so many beloved Bordeaux grapes… but the main reason I chose these is because of what they created! In the 1600’s (thereabouts) these two came together in a natural pollination to create one of the most popular varietals in the world: Cabernet Sauvignon! Stay tuned for the next article to learn all about the world’s favorite grape!