My Most Memorable Cabernet Francs of 2025

No.69 | A Year in Review

Looking Back…

This year brought with it not only some incredible opportunities and experiences, but also the odd wrinkle that wasn’t on my 2025 Bingo Card at the start of the year.

I was fortunate to have visited a few new wine regions this year, Long Island and the Hudson Valley (thank you, Cab Franc Forward and the New York Wine & Grape Foundation) and also South Africa (thank you, Raats Family Wines). During my brief time (about 48 hours!) in Long Island and Hudson Valley, I was able to get a better idea of the Cabernet Franc picture in these two regions, particularly compared to the Finger Lakes, which will help shape my coverage of the grape for New York State as a whole. And my time in South Africa was my first real in-depth look at the Cabernet Franc scene in Stellenbosch and beyond, and I am looking forward to sharing my discoveries here and on Instagram in the months ahead.

I also travelled to the Loire Valley four times this year - a region that has, in more ways than one, bec…