Please Join Us for #CabFrancDay

I am happy to be joining in a celebration today with other like minded individuals who believe that Cabernet Franc is more than just a blending grape.  We are all meeting up this evening for twitter chat at 8 pm to discuss this grape and it's emergence as a stand alone wine.

I started my celebration last Saturday when I shared a pairing of Palazzo Cabernet Franc from Napa Valley.  I paired this wine with Pan Seared Duck Breasts with a Pomegranate Reduction.  The wine was lovely and the pairing wonderful.  You can read all about this bottle and get the recipe for the duck at my first Cab Franc Day post.

This party is being hosted by my friend Lori of Dracaena Wines out of Paso Robles, California.  Dracaena specializes in Cabernet Franc.  My brother lives near Paso Robles and when I was visiting him a couple of years ago, Lori was kind enough to meet us at her vineyards and give us a lesson about viticulture and offer us tastings of her wines.

This photo of Lori teaching and me learning was taken by my friend Cam of Culinary Adventures with Camilla.  She drove down from her neck of the woods to meet up with us for this fun outing.  It was such a great day with great friends and family.  

After our time in the vineyards we went to the facility where Lori's grapes are turned into wine followed by a wonderful lunch.  It was one of the highlights of our trip to California that year and I hope to repeat it if ever we are allowed to travel again.

I became hooked on Cab Franc during that trip.  I joined Lori's wine club and always look forward to getting the latest bottlings.  The last bottle that I opened was paired with these Hungarian Short Ribs and it was to die for!!!

I'm not sharing that pairing today.  You see, I decided to extend this celebration and host our Wine Pairing Weekend on the 12th of this month with Cab Franc Around the World.  I will be sharing this meal then and will be hosting our twitter chat at 11 AM ET that day.  You will find us by following #WinePW.

Today I'm sharing a pairing that I did with a bottle of Maquis Cabernet Franc from Chile.  I ordered this wine up from Wine.com just for this event.  This wine was very reasonably priced at $18 and got great reviews.  

This winery has been owned by the same family for more than a century.  However, it was only ten years ago that they decided to make wine from their own grapes that grow in their backyard.  They set out to make a "Super Chilean".  They have succeeded.

So this wine arrived on Wednesday afternoon.  I had ordered it just for this event today and for a moment thought I wasn't going to be able to showcase it at all.  We try to go visit my husband's aunt once a week and Wednesday was the night we had made plans to do this.

When the wine arrived I decided to make the meal I wanted to pair with it and take it all down to the city with us for our visit.  I roasted a pork tenderloin and topped it with this amazing Grape and Cranberry Sauce.  I made up some mac and cheese, grabbed a can of beans, the bottle of wine and my camera and out the door we went.

Aunt Irene did try a sip of our wine but decided to stick to her coffee.  Frank and I enjoyed a glass of this wine with dinner and were very pleased.  I liked the wine more than Frank.  It is deep, dark, smooth and dry.  Just like I like it.  I thought the pairing with the grape cranberry sauce was wonderful.  

Lori has invited us and several wineries to join her today to talk about this varietal and share our thoughts and ideas.  You will find us on Twitter Chat at 8 PM ET by following #CabFrancDay.  I hope to see you there.