|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Cuda Ridge Wines’ 2023 Cabernet Franc in the estate vineyard on Arroyo Road in Livermore. (Photo by Chuck Deckert) 
Selection of Cab Franc Guild members’ wines. (Photo by Chuck Deckert) 
Cab Franc Guild members gather at The Steven Kent Winery. (Photo by Chuck Deckert) 
Cabernet Franc grapes hang from the vine at Morgensen Family Vineyards in Livermore. (Photo by Chuck Deckert) 
Vintner Steven Mirassou smells Cab Franc grapes at Morgensen Family Vineyard in Livermore. (Photo by Chuck Deckert) 
Cuda Ridge Wines owner Larry Dino shows off award-winning Cab Franc wines. (Photo by Chuck Deckert)
Cabernet Franc wine is a mystery to many. Yet Cab Franc is the genetic parent of celebrated Cabernet Sauvignon. Livermore Valley wineries recently named Cab Franc as one of their signature wines and aim to differentiate the wine from its famous vinous son.
The back label on The Strong, Silent Type Cab Franc from Almost Famous Wine Co. calls Cabernet Sauvignon a “show off”. Karl Wente of Wente Vineyards recently added Cab Franc to his top-of-the-portfolio, nth Degree, and described the wine as “elegant and sexy”. Excited by the quality of her Cab Franc, Rosie Fierro of Rosa Fierro Cellars named her Big Daddy because, she said, “The wine is ‘smooth, sexy, and rich’.”
Why are vintners so passionate about Cab Franc when Livermore Valley is known for Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon?
The background on the selection of Cab Franc as a signature varietal highlights the wine’s potential for drawing visitors to Livermore Valley wine country. Despite the wine industry slowdown, Livermore wineries are poised to plow ahead with their winemaking, plant more Cab Franc and produce more of the world-class wine. The new owners of Concannon are renovating a building on the property into a new wine center with the working name of Cab Franc City.
Cab Franc, a famous Bordeaux grape
Livermore Valley has a long history with Cab Franc. Early winemakers at Wente and Concannon Vineyard planted Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards and made highly regarded wines. As one of the six Bordeaux grapes, Cab Franc was planted in Livermore and used as a blender with other Bordeaux varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Fenestra Winery, founded by Lanny Replogle, was the first winery to label and sell a Livermore Valley Cabernet Franc in 1999, meaning Cab Franc comprised at least 75% of the wine. With the release of its 2006 Cabernet Franc Ghielmetti Vineyard, Fenestra was the first to name the varietal with a single vineyard.
In recent years Livermore Valley Cab Franc has received high ratings and awards at wineries that submit wines to wine publications and competitions. Larry Dino, proprietor of Cuda Ridge Winery, won a Gold award at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition for the second vintage of his Cab Franc in 2008 and several times since then. With Cab Franc as one of his top selling wines, Dino has also won Gold at the International Cabernet Franc Competition. The Cab Franc of Wood Family Vineyards, owned by Rhonda Wood, has won Double Gold twice at the San Francisco competition.
The Tri-Valley Conservancy initiated a project in 2020 to identify the best grapes that will ensure a productive future for the historic Livermore Valley wine industry. With the mission to preserve agricultural areas and encourage growth, TVC commissioned researchers at the University of California, Davis to study the area because many vineyards were over 20 years old and needed replanting.
Released in 2022, the UC Davis report, “Realizing the Heritage”, recommended white wine Sauvignon Blanc and red Cab Franc as candidates for signature varietals due to the excellent growing conditions for the grapes and its potential to attract visitors to Livermore Valley wine country.
The Livermore Valley Wine Community – the casual brand name for the local winegrowers association – studied the report for several years before the announcement of signature wines this past February.
Vintners who did not make either grape were hesitant at first about the recommendations but realized that community support for a wine like Cab Franc carried advantages. Curious drinkers would visit Livermore Valley to taste Sauvignon Blanc and explore Cab Franc and then sample their wines, too.
Many Livermore Valley wineries make Cab Franc, and a dozen vintners formed the Cab Franc Guild in early 2025. The group holds Cab Franc events to emphasize the wine’s drinkability and food-friendly nature and will soon publish a Cab Franc Guild Wine Trail Map.
An active member of the guild, Heather McGrail, owner of McGrail Vineyards said, “We are known as a Cabernet Sauvignon house. Yet we love our Cab Franc because of its red berry and cherry flavors and herbal notes. Cab Franc is gentle and elegant, less intense and tannic than many red wines.”
Added Darcie Kent Estate Winery’s David Kent, “Darcie and I like Cab Franc because of its broad pairing options from seafood and Thanksgiving turkey to bison burgers with blue cheese.”
The pros and cons of designating signature wines
The leading wine regions of the world have a primary grape or “icon product”, like Malbec (Argentina) and Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley), said Paul Wagner, an author and wine marketing instructor at Napa Valley College. “Cab Franc is best known in France, but few regions in the world are laying claim to Cab Franc, and Livermore can compete head-to-head with them in quality.”
Cab Franc is on the radar of the wine industry. Livermore is not alone in the U.S. promoting Cab Franc. Vintners in New York State launched Cab Franc Forward. Some 35 statewide Cab Franc producers recently sponsored an event in Manhattan with 500 attendees.
David Kent, a proponent of Cab Franc’s signature status, repeats the wine industry axiom, “If you stand for everything, you stand for nothing.” But is it wise to put all your eggs in a signature wine basket? Consumer preferences and cultural attitudes change. The Paso Robles region first gained recognition for Zinfandel and Rhone Valley varietals, and currently Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the grape growing.
As chief strategist at Solterra Strategies, Stacie Jacobs is experienced with wine region marketing programs. In the early 2000s, Jacobs worked with the Washington State Wine Commission. “We thought Merlot was Washington’s most exciting grape and presented it at tastings. Then in 2004, the movie ‘Sideways’ disparaged Merlot and propelled Pinot Noir sales.”
The state of the wine industry
Glenn Proctor has a broad perspective on the wine industry as a broker and partner at Ciatti Co., a global grape and wine brokerage. “The global wine market is undergoing a confusing time. We are trying to figure out market supply and demand while wondering how to get people to buy wine and visit tasting rooms,” Proctor said.
The wine industry faces increasing competition from beer and spirits. Ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages have flooded the market in the last five years. From hard seltzers to spirit-based cocktails, RTD four-packs are perceived as better value for the price than wine.
Shifting consumer behavior in the wellness and health arena has also affected wine sales. More alcoholic beverages are available with lower calories and lower alcohol. The prevalence of GLP-1 weight loss drugs has lowered interest in alcoholic drinks as well as food.
Demographics are a key factor in wine’s downturn.
Baby Boomers, the largest population group, are drinking less and using edibles to get a high. Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z are also curbing their alcohol consumption and turning to cannabis. Younger drinkers are attracted to the burgeoning supply of non-hangover THC-infused beverages where legally sold.
From the business angle, tariffs are hurting winery profits, added David Kent. “For the Darcie, Almost Famous and Concannon brands, we buy glass from Mexico, corks from Portugal and paper labels printed in Canada, all with increased prices due to tariffs. The reciprocal tariffs also impact our sales.”
Climate change is another challenge for wineries.
With global warming impacting wine regions, Steven Mirassou of Steven Kent Winery said, “Cab Franc grapes are poised to withstand the most extreme effects of climate change. They ripen earlier and can be picked before heat spikes and rain.”
Another major problem is the consolidation of wine distributors. Larger wineries depend on distributors to sell their wine state-wide or nationally in markets and restaurants. Having recently lost his California distributor, Mirassou wrote in a Substack post, “As a farmer-winemaker, scrambling for a distributor and the general slowing in the market have necessitated me changing my work boots for a briefcase and wine bag.”
The market for Livermore Valley wines
Out of the 52 wineries in the Livermore Valley appellation, only The Steven Kent Winery, Wente Vineyards, Darcie Kent Estate Winery and Concannon Vineyard distribute outside of California. Wente has shipped internationally for over 50 years.
Most Livermore wineries sell direct to consumers in the tasting room and online. The slowdown in tourism in the Bay Area has softened sales in many tasting rooms and wine club signups.
Vintners such as McGrail, for example, self-distribute to Tri-Valley stores and restaurants. Rosie Fierro sells at two San Francisco restaurants. Cuda Ridge, Steven Kent and others host periodic winemaker dinners at local restaurants.
Regarding the market situation at her winery, McGrail said, “We view the market as soft, and we are not growing like we did pre-pandemic. With current economic uncertainty, we are holding steady.”
Despite market conditions, the number of wineries in the Livermore Valley Wine Community has remained steady in the last three years. Though two wineries have recently sold, new owners have kept the former names. A few Livermore vineyards have been thinned or remain unpicked due to oversupply of certain grapes.
The Cab Franc Guild, the superpower for the signature grape
In every major wine region, a few key people have made good wine and sparked recognition for the area. Think of the impact of Robert Mondavi and his eponymous Napa winery during the 1960s. The 5th generation Wente family leads the winery started by Carl Wente in 1883.
Steven Mirassou is a 6th generation winemaker who started The Steven Kent Winery in 1996. Though his first release was Cabernet Sauvignon, he made Cab Franc a decade later and quickly emerged as a super fan, calling Cab Franc “compelling and delicious”. He sells The Steven Kent Winery Cab Franc, Cab Franc Rosé and Cab Franc Blanc, a white wine from the red grape, and top-of-the line L’Autre Côte label which refers to the famous Bordeaux Right Bank Cab Franc wines.
To gain momentum for Livermore Valley Cab Franc, Mirassou launched the first CabFranc-a-Palooza event in 2023 in Livermore. The third event this year attracted 500 people in June to taste Cab Franc from 52 wineries located in five states plus Italy and France.
Mirassou is the driver behind the Cab Franc Guild. The guild informally celebrated international Cab Franc Day on Dec. 4, 2024, at the Bankhead Theater. Since the launch in February, the guild has grown to 18 members.
The first major guild event was the well-attended Franc Fest, held over two days in July with events at 11 wineries from The Steven Kent Winery to Rosa Fierro Cellars and Rodrigue Molyneaux. Dino of Cuda Ridge noted that he gained customers from Sacramento and the South Bay who had never visited the area.
In addition to leveraging the message that Livermore Valley makes world class Cab Franc, the guild also ensures quality. To participate in tasting events and trade shows, members must submit their wine for blind tasting by the group and receive a passing score for quality.
Guild members also share technical knowledge about Cab Franc vineyard management and wine production. In the “Realizing the Heritage” report on the viability of Livermore Valley, the researchers noted that half of the older vineyards need to be replanted due to low productivity and proclivity for disease.
After studying various clones, or variations of the Cab Franc vines, Mirassou has collaborated with owners on planting new vineyards. For the new Cab Franc planting at the Morgensen Vineyard on Greenville Road, Mirassou recommended both Clone 11, which yields rich and dense fruit, and Clone 4 with its red berry, cranberry and dried sage flavor profile.
“The diversity of clones in the vineyards makes for opportunities for winemakers to craft world class wine,” Mirassou said.
There are currently about 81 acres planted to Cab Franc and the number will soon increase. A major Cab Franc planting starts this winter on the Concannon property, now owned by Lemmons Family Vineyards.
The future of Cab Franc in Livermore Valley
“Since Cab Franc is a unique varietal without a large presence in the marketplace,” said Proctor of the Ciatti wine brokerage, “small and mid-sized wineries can hang their hat on it by telling the varietal’s story, reintroducing guests to red wine, and attracting visits to the area.”
The effort to improve Livermore Valley’s potential as a wine country destination received a boost in June from the Alameda County Board of Supervisors’ approval of amendments in support of the South Livermore Valley Area Plan. While preserving the area’s farmland, the changes enable more infrastructure to support agriculture-related tourism such as tasting rooms, small-scale lodging and restaurants.
The Cab Franc City wine center on the Concannon property is currently in the design stage and will feature two venues. A Makers Space will provide a winemaking cooperative for small producers. Projected to open in late 2026, a large retail area will offer picnic supplies, art galleries, and electric bike rentals. A tasting room, with the working name Blanc & Franc, will offer both Livermore Valley signature varietals.
“The signature wines will enable us to better communicate Livermore’s expertise in growing Bordeaux varieties,” said Aly Wente. “These grapes thrive here and show different flavors and textures than other appellations.”
A pilot and winemaker, Wood named a recent Cab Franc-based blend, The Take Off, because she believes Livermore Valley is taking off.
Like the airline industry, winegrowing depends on knowledgeable and enthusiastic people, strong infrastructure and information channels, the weather and economic climate. Vintners like Mirassou hope all the conditions point to Livermore Valley becoming a world-class home for Cab Franc.
Correction: A prior version of this story referenced incorrect history for Cabernet Franc production in the Livermore Valley. Fenestra Winery was the first winery to label and sell a local Cabernet Franc in 1999 and the first to name the varietal with a single vineyard with its 2006 Cabernet Franc Ghielmetti Vineyard. Embarcadero Media Foundation regrets the errors.
Sidebar – TASTE: The Livermore Valley Wine Experience
Livermore Valley wineries celebrate harvest with a barrel-full of fun wine and food events from Oct. 16-19.
The premier event is the Taste Our Terroir grand tasting with 20 wineries and their chef partners competing for the top pairing. Two of the dozen other events highlight Livermore Valley’s newly announced signature wines.
Cab Franc is featured at the Cluck Cluck Cab Franc tasting with 10 wineries matching their wine with creative chicken dishes from food trucks and caterers. For Sauvignon Blanc lovers, the Ocean and Vine event pairs the wine with seafood. Other options range from grape stomping and cheese and wine pairings to vineyard hikes, gourmet winemaker dinners and yoga with wine and puppies for adoption.
More information can be found at lvwine.org.
Dublin Planning Commission gives final OK for Sunflower Hill’s new affordable housing project December 24, 2025 8:40 am