Whether NY or France...Still the Same Grape!

I love the New York Finger Lakes!

Gorgeous weather. A beautiful wedding (Congrats Dorothy and Eoin!). Yet another amazing experience in wine. The makings of a fantastic weekend!

#1 weekend goal: Get those kids married.
#2 weekend goal: (Albeit lower on the priority list!...) PLENTY of wine tasting!

Missions accomplished!

The Finger Lakes is by far the best region for wine on the eastern half of the United States. Inevitably, the region produces better quality white wines than red, but there are exceptions. Cabernet Franc is one of them...the product tends to be consistently decent!

Glenora Wine Cellars 2008 Cab Franc has characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon (dry, tannic), but with slightly less body. Green peppers, dark berries, some floral-like aroma. This one seems a bit young...I'm going to cellar the bottle I brought home for a few years to let it chill out.

Now, across the pond for another look at this grape... BONJOUR, France! The best reds that come out of the Loire Valley are also Cabernet Francs!

Immediately, my mind travels back to west-central France. How ironic that a little over a month ago, I was tasting this same grape varietal in it's birthplace?!

We had some lovely Cab Francs from the Loire, mostly from Chinon (an area with a large castle ruins that we visited) and the Touraine. It ripens earlier, so it does better than Cabernet Sauvignon in cooler climates like NY or this region of France.

I've heard these French Cab Francs described as, "reminiscent of the aromas of a forest after a rainstorm." LOVE THAT! They are so earthy, with old world charm. Medium-bod beauties. We enjoyed countless selections, including those from Anjou, Touraine, Brissac, Saumur, Bourgueil, Saumur-Champigny, and of course, Chinon!

SANTE!

Photos:
Top- (1) Sunrise over Lake Seneca, Dundee, NY; (2) Genora Vineyards along Seneca Lake
Middle- (1) Couly-Dutheil Vineyards, Chinon, France; taken from Chateau de Chinon (2) Tara and Maya wine tasting at Chateau St. Julien on the last night all together, putting on serious faces to inspect wine clarity! (3) Wine shop in Chinon ville.