Food & Wine · Pairing
Cabernet Franc Food Pairing: The Red to Open When the Grill Is On
When the grill is going, Cabernet Franc is often the red we suggest. It has enough tannin for a steak and enough acidity for a tomato sauce, and its middle weight suits roast chicken as easily as lamb. That balance comes from where the grape does best, in cool places like ours.
We make Cabernet Franc at our winery above Keuka Lake, and it is often the red we suggest when guests want something for dinner. What follows is how the wine is built and what that means on the plate. For the general principles, see our guide to food and wine pairing.
What food goes with Cabernet Franc?
Cabernet Franc goes with grilled and roasted meats like lamb, pork, burgers and steak frites, with roast chicken and turkey, and with roasted vegetables, mushrooms and tomato-based dishes. Its high acidity, fine tannin and medium body let it handle both fat and acidity, which makes it one of the most food-friendly red wines.
Most reds do one job well. A light red handles delicate food, and a big, tannic red handles fatty grilled meat. Cabernet Franc covers some of both, since its tannin is real but fine-grained and its acidity stays high. The same bottle can go from a plate of roasted carrots to a grilled lamb chop without trouble.
Why is Cabernet Franc so good in the Finger Lakes?
Cabernet Franc ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon and handles cooler weather well, so it suits cool-climate regions like the Finger Lakes and France's Loire Valley. Grown in a cool climate, it keeps high natural acidity and develops fine, moderate tannin, a structure that makes it flexible with food.
Around Keuka Lake, the deep water keeps the hillsides cool through the growing season. Cool weather slows ripening, and grapes that ripen slowly hold on to their natural acidity, which is what you want from a red at the table. Cornell's grape and wine program studies how varieties behave in New York's cool climate, and that climate explains why earlier-ripening reds like Cabernet Franc are planted here.
In France, Cabernet Franc is the main red grape of Chinon and much of the Loire Valley, another cool region. Wine Folly notes that it is one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon. The parent is lighter than its offspring, with more acidity and less tannin, and that makes it easier to pair.
What should you put on the grill for Cabernet Franc?
For the grill, the best matches are lamb, pork, duck, burgers, sausages and steak, especially cuts like flank, skirt or hanger. Cabernet Franc's tannin binds with protein and fat, which makes grilled meat feel less heavy, and its acidity cuts through char and juices. Braised dishes with a tomato or wine sauce also work well.
Tannin, the drying grip from grape skins, binds to proteins. A piece of grilled meat gives it fat and protein to grab, so the wine feels smoother and the meat lighter. Cabernet Franc has enough tannin to do that without the heaviness that would bury a leaner cut. Our favorite example is steak frites, where grilled meat and salty fries both meet a wine with the acidity to handle them.
- Grilled lamb chops with rosemary
- Steak frites with a flank or hanger steak
- Burgers off the grill
- Pork tenderloin with a mustard sauce
- Sausages with lentils
- Braised short ribs in a tomato and red wine sauce
What vegetables go with Cabernet Franc?
Roasted and grilled vegetables pair well with Cabernet Franc: roasted beets, carrots and squash, grilled peppers and eggplant, mushrooms, lentils and tomato-based dishes like ratatouille or eggplant parmesan. High heat gives vegetables a caramelized, savory side, and the wine's acidity matches tomatoes and balances the natural sugar of roasted roots.
Tomatoes are where Cabernet Franc pulls ahead of most reds. They are acidic, and a low-acid red feels flat beside them, while Cabernet Franc keeps up, so pizza, pasta with tomato sauce and ratatouille all work. Roasted root vegetables add sweetness and some char, which the fine tannin handles without turning harsh. For a vegetarian fall dinner, try a tray of roasted squash, beets and mushrooms with a bowl of lentils.
Is Cabernet Franc a good wine for holiday dinners?
Cabernet Franc is a very good holiday wine. It handles turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving, and roast lamb, pork loin or a glazed ham at Christmas. Its acidity keeps pace with tart sides and rich gravy, and its medium body stays balanced across a table full of different dishes.
A holiday table may be the hardest pairing of the year, with lean white meat, dark meat, gravy, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and green beans arriving together. A wine that is too heavy crushes half of it, and one that is too light disappears. Cabernet Franc sits in between. Our guide to the best wine for Thanksgiving covers the full menu, and if you want a lighter red for the turkey, see our Pinot Noir food pairing guide.
Barrel Select or La Marinière: which of our Cabernet Francs to open?
We make two. Our Cabernet Franc Barrel Select is aged in oak barrels, which let a very small amount of air reach the wine over months, and that slow breathing softens the tannin and rounds the wine out. We open it for the richest plates, like braised short ribs, a roast lamb or a holiday roast.
Our Cabernet Franc La Marinière is the other side of the story, and we would rather tell it in person. Ask at the tasting bar and we will pour the two side by side. Both are on our wines page.
Why it works with so much
- A cool climate keeps its acidity high, which suits tomatoes and tart sides.
- Its fine tannin grips grilled meat and stays light enough for leaner food.
- Its medium body keeps it balanced on a table full of different dishes.
- If a guest asks why, the short answer is that this red grew somewhere cool.
The easiest way to taste these pairings is our Signature Wine & Food Pairing, a seated experience of about 75 minutes that changes with the season. Our visit page has what you need to plan the trip.
Taste our Cabernet Franc with food, above the lake.
How light is Cabernet Franc, and should you chill it?
Is Cabernet Franc a light or heavy red wine?
Cabernet Franc is usually medium-bodied, lighter than Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and fuller than most Pinot Noir. Cool-climate Cabernet Franc, like ours from the Finger Lakes, tends to have higher acidity and finer tannin.
Does Cabernet Franc go with pizza?
Yes. Its acidity matches tomato sauce, and its tannin handles sausage, pepperoni and cheese. It is one of the easiest reds to pour with pizza and red-sauce pasta.
Should Cabernet Franc be served chilled?
Serve it slightly cool, around 60 to 65°F. About fifteen minutes in the fridge before dinner is enough. A red served too warm feels heavier and more alcoholic, which throws off its balance with food.
Written by
The Domaine LeSeurre Team
Céline & Sébastien LeSeurre and the team at Domaine LeSeurre — a family winery on Keuka Lake, in Hammondsport, New York. French roots, Finger Lakes soul.
