New York Cabernet Franc: Uniting the State, Focusing the Future
No.74 | Regional Reporting
In February, producers from across New York State gathered in Manhattan for the second year in a row to celebrate Cabernet Franc from New York as part of the Cab Franc Forward 2026 Grand Tasting. Forty wineries from three principal growing regions were pouring more than 250 Cabernet Francs of all shapes and sizes for thirsty and curious wine professionals and consumers in what was the largest regional tasting of Cabernet Franc ever held outside of Europe.
Launched in late 2024, Cab Franc Forward is the brainchild of Max Rohn of Wölffer Estate and Gabriella Macari of Macari Vineyards, who set out to increase awareness of the quality and distinctiveness of Cabernet Franc from New York State. Partnering with six other founding wineries from across Long Island, the Finger Lakes and the Hudson Valley, the group’s promotional efforts over the last 15 months has garnered New York Cabernet Franc acclaim from influential journalists, top sommeliers and international wine critics, and has charted a course towards Cabernet Franc being the grape that could become synonymous with New York State on the global wine stage.
One State, One Grape
The concept of a signature grape is not new in the wine world. The grapes seen now as emblematic of specific European wine regions, whether that be Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Burgundy or Grüner Veltliner from Austria, achieved such status thanks to centuries of tradition and natural selection. Outside of Europe, such a concept is much more complex, with consumer preferences and trends often getting more weight in the decision making process as to what varieties are planted where over the suitability of a grape for a given terroir.
A reality that makes the decision to elevate Cabernet Franc as the signature grape for the entire state of New York so significant. While Cabernet Franc is one of the world’s single most important wine grapes, its global plantings and status are dwarfed by its progeny Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, not to mention it competes against more “fashionable” grapes like Syrah and Pinot Noir for shelf space and attention. Cabernet Franc is not the “obvious” choice for any winery or wine region. And yet this initiative on the part of the collective group of Cab Franc Forward member wineries and the state’s lawmakers makes New York State the first region of this scale outside of Europe to officially fly the Cabernet Franc flag high and proud.
What makes New York State uniquely positioned to be the premier US wine growing for the grape? According to Max Rohn, “Cabernet Franc is particularly well suited to New York’s climate… its versatility allows it to thrive across the state… producing a wide range of compelling styles shaped by site, season, and wine growing decisions.”
Having closely followed the region and regularly tasted examples of Cabernet Franc from across the state, I believe the grape’s versatility and adaptability could be New York’s greatest asset as it sets its sights on telling the story of New York Cabernet Franc in its own backyard and beyond.
Character, Creativity, Confidence
While Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir each have a generally accepted “style” - that is to say that the wine drinking public already has an idea in their mind of what will be in the bottle when they buy an example of either grape at a shop or a restaurant - Cabernet Franc, and single varietal Cabernet Franc more specifically, leaves the door open for interpretation. While this does pose its own challenges, it is also an opportunity for regions with cooler, more variable climates and vintage conditions, as has been demonstrated in the grape’s ancestral home and the only region in the world with a centuries-old tradition of producing single varietal Cabernet Franc, the Loire Valley.
In places where vintage variation is more pronounced, Cabernet Franc’s adaptability gives wine growers the opportunity to lean into what Mother Nature gives and produce wines that honestly reflect place and time. In warmer, sunnier years, Cabernet Franc can be more ripe, fruit-forward and plush, in cooler years, it can lead with verve, delicacy and perfume, not to mention the grape’s ability to produce expressive rosés and even whites, both in still and sparkling form. Across vintages and regions, New York State has the chance to shine a light on the diverse palette of expressions the grape is capable of.
“Cabernet Franc is malleable in all of the best ways. In the vineyard, it's adaptable. In the cellar, it's versatile. And, in the glass, Cabernet Franc seems quite limitless,” says Matthew Spaccarelli of Fjord Vineyards in the Hudson River Region, which is the smallest of the three principal regions where the grape is grown in the state. And what the Hudson River Region lacks in size of Cabernet Franc plantings (about 35 acres at last count), it makes up for it with commitment and enthusiasm, being the first region in the state to recognize Cabernet Franc as a star variety with founding of the Hudson Valley Cabernet Franc Coalition in 2016. “This malleability, combined with New York's cool climate and distinct regional differences,” Spaccarelli added “creates an opportunity for growers and winemakers alike to craft wines of distinction without compromising quality or varietal correctness.”
This “varietal correctness” in Cabernet Franc is somewhat of a polarizing topic. Part of what makes Cabernet Franc Cabernet Franc is its herbaceousness. In the Loire, this character trait is referred to as the grape’s “noble” herbaceous undertones, suggesting that these notes are part of the grape’s identity and should be celebrated. However, this herbal or “green” side of Cabernet Franc needs to be carefully managed in the vineyard and cellar in order to get the best kind of green expression in your Cabernet Franc. “New York’s strong concentration of small, quality-focused wineries also plays an important role,” Max Rohn noted “enabling hands-on vineyard management and careful attention to the farming decisions that keep green flavors in balance.” This small scale, attentive approach to viticulture has and will only continue to benefit the state’s producers over the long term. In my tastings over the years and from what was on offer at the Grand Tasting in February, it is clear that wine growers are becoming more attuned to the best ways to capture Cabernet Franc’s varietal character and showcase it in a way that feels authentic and distinct to the place and vintage.
“In New York’s cool climate, the Cab Francs can be lower in alcohol and more food friendly. At the same time they offer more fruit character than some of the more traditional old world Cab Francs,” notes Bruce Murray of Boundary Breaks in the Finger Lakes, which, alongside Long Island, represent the majority of the state’s 638 acres of Cabernet Franc. While the Finger Lakes, Long Island and the Hudson Valley all experience very different growing seasons, the cool to moderate conditions that unify the state’s growing regions allow Cabernet Franc to achieve gradual and balanced ripening, while retaining lively acidities and restrained alcohols, regardless of vintage. This gives winemakers plenty of runway to craft wines that are true to the grape and reflect the unique attributes of their region, while also appealing to a diverse range of palates and preferences.
“We are in a discovery phase where many consumers are experiencing New York Cab Francs for the first time, and it is a pleasant surprise,” adds Murray. Whether they be juicy, unoaked styles, like Lamoreaux Landing’s 2023 “T23” Cabernet Franc, the Living Roots 2023 Cabernet Franc, Fjord Vineyards’s 2024 Estate Cabernet Franc, and Macari’s 2024 “Lifeforce” Cabernet Franc, or the plush, round examples such as Sheldrake Point’s 2023 Estate Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Cabernet Franc from Sannino Vineyard, Paumanok Vineyards’s 2023 Cabernet Franc, and Milea Estate’s 2023 Reserve Cabernet Franc, or something in between, New York’s winemakers are beginning to more confidently express the diversity and complexity that Cabernet Franc is capable of, all while honouring the grape’s fruit aromatics, varietal character, bright acidity, and elegant structure.
And when confidence is combined with patience, curiosity and intention, it is possible to craft Cabernet Francs that are deep and even personal reflections of grape, place and time, such as the Hermann J Wiemer 2023 Magdalena Vineyard Cabernet Franc, the single vineyard range from Forge Cellars, Damiani’s 2024 Valois Vineyard Cabernet Franc, and the Boundary Breaks 2024 Cabernet Franc Reserve. It is examples like these and other top expressions from across the state that show the potential of this grape when it is planted in the right place and handled with care and attention.
Focus for the Future
When wine growers see a glimpse of Cabernet Franc’s potential reflected in their own wines and the wines of their neighbours and colleagues, this is where the power of a collective focus on a single grape can truly benefit wine producers across New York State and make initiatives like Cab Franc Forward so critical to the grape’s success.
Events like the Grand Tasting not only give professionals and consumers a chance to discover the diversity of New York Cabernet Franc, but it also gives the winemakers and winery representatives themselves a chance to taste and discuss each other’s wines. An opportunity that invites conversation, collaboration and cooperation across the industry that can positively impact all aspects of what goes into making a bottle of wine, from vineyard, to cellar, to marketing and sales.
By elevating Cabernet Franc to “signature” status, New York State wineries are signalling to the world a belief in the grape, their terroirs, and their ability to produce wines of genuine distinction that communicate a sense of place. It is a declaration of confidence, but not insularity. For all its versatility and potential, Cabernet Franc rewards those who are patient, attentive and honest. The best producers understand that developing an intimate knowledge of their vineyards’ soils and microclimates is equally as important as regularly tasting and learning from the great expressions of the grape grown elsewhere in the world, from the Loire Valley to Italy, South Africa to Argentina, and beyond. Progress does not happen in a vacuum, and the winemakers who will define New York Cabernet Franc for decades to come will be those who are as curious about the world as they are rooted in their own backyard.
Giving Cabernet Franc star status is, of course, just the first step on a long journey. Building a regional identity around a single grape takes time, sustained effort, and the collective will that Cab Franc Forward has already begun to demonstrate. But the foundation on which the industry can continue to build is strong, and the wines, whether they are companionable everyday drinkers or single vineyard statements, they are making the argument that the best is yet to come.
What makes this moment truly exciting is not just the quality of the wines, but the enthusiasm and commitment behind them. Winemakers from across the Finger Lakes, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley are tasting each other’s work, sharing knowledge, and aligning around a shared purpose without sacrificing their individual voices. That balance of unity and diversity, of focus and freedom may ultimately be what defines New York Cabernet Franc.
In nearly every wine region outside of the Loire Valley, Cabernet Franc plays a supporting role and rarely the lead, but New York may prove to be exactly the stage Cabernet Franc has been waiting for. And for New York, Cabernet Franc may be exactly the grape it has been waiting for, too.
Cab Franc Forward 2026 Grand Tasting Participants
Finger Lakes: Apollo’s Praise, Atwater Vineyards, Boundary Breaks*, Damiani Wine Cellars, Dr. Konstantin Frank*, Forge Cellars, Hermann J. Wiemer*, Heron Hill Winery, Keuka Spring Vineyards, Lakewood Vineyards, Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars, Living Roots Wine & Co., Neverstill Wines, Ravines Wine Cellars, Red Newt Cellars, Ryan William Vineyard, Sheldrake Point Winery, Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery
Long Island: Clovis Point Vineyard and Winery, HORSES by Macari Vineyards, Lenz Winery, Macari Vineyards*, McCall Wines, One Woman Winery, Paumanok Vineyards*, Red Hook Winery, RGNY, Roanoke Vineyards, Sannino Vineyard, Suhru & Lieb Vineyards, Wölffer Estate Vineyard*
Hudson River Region: Airy Acres Vineyard, Benmarl Winery, Ev&Em Vineyards, Fjord Vineyards*, Milea Estate Vineyard*, Millbrook Vineyards & Winery, Rosina’s Winery, Whitecliff Vineyard
Niagara Escarpment: Arrowhead Spring Vineyards
*Cab Franc Forward Founding Wineries
Explore More New York Cabernet Franc
Here is a selection of my coverage of Cabernet Franc from New York State, in both video and written format.
Hermann J. Wiemer, 2019 Magdalena Vineyard Cabernet Franc, Finger Lakes
Forge Cellars, 2019 Willow Vineyard Cabernet Franc, Finger Lakes
Bedell Cellars, 2019 Cabernet Franc, North Fork of Long Island, Long Island
Heron Hill, 2020 Ingle Vineyard Cabernet Franc, Finger Lakes
Macari, 2021 'Lifeforce' Cabernet Franc, North Fork of Long Island
Boundary Breaks, 2023 Cabernet Franc, Finger Lakes
Travel and accommodations to attend the Cab Franc Forward 2026 Grand Tasting was provided by Cab Franc Forward.
I attended last year's Cab Franc Forward tasting in NYC but wasn't able to get up there for this year's. I'm glad it's continuing, because NY is doing great things with this grape. As are Virginia, Livermore Valley, Chile ... the boomlet is not limited to New York.
This Grand tasting event looks awesome. Would love to go sometime. I just joined their email list (Cab Franc Forward NY). Maybe 2027!