Cabernet Franc Style Dessert Wine
The Grape
Cabernet Franc is one of the world’s major black grape varieties. It is often grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for Bordeaux style dry wines. In Canada and the United States, it is most widely grown to be made into ice wine, which is a sweet dessert style wine. In general, Cabernet Franc is very similar to Cabernet Sauvignon in the vineyard, but it buds and ripens at least a week earlier. This trait allows the vine to thrive in the cooler climates where ice wine is made.
The Wines
Our Cabernet Franc Style Dessert wine perfectly represents this sought after style of varietal ice wine. It has a luscious mouthfeel with flavours of bumble-berry, pomegranate and cherry. Pleasing notes of red currant jelly, pomegranate molasses and red cherry linger on the finish. Soft delicate tannins and the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity are exceedingly satisfying. Like classic ice wines, our Dessert Wines usually have a slightly lower alcohol content than regular table wine - between eight and thirteen percent.
The Occasions
Serve each of your guests one to two ounces of Cabernet Franc Style Dessert Wine in small white wine glasses, chilled to 8 to 10°C. Enjoy it before a meal as an ice wine martini by mixing it with your favourite vodka and adding a couple of frozen grapes. Or, wait to enjoy it after your meal served with a plum tart, date squares, rhubarb sorbet or nut based cakes.