The best food pairings for cabernet franc

Cabernet franc can be the most food-friendly of wines, as good with fish and veggies as it is with meat but it comes in several styles. If you’re looking for a food match for cabernet franc I’d be mainly thinking of the lighter more fragrant Loire type which stars on its own in such appellations as Saumur, Saumur-Champigny, Bourgeuil, St Nicolas de Bourgeuil and Chinon. Even then it can vary from vintage to vintage and from lighter wines to more serious oak-aged examples. 

In this post, you’ll find the best food pairings (and some favourite recipes) for

* Fresh, young Loire cabernet franc

* Mature, oak-aged Loire cabernet franc

* More full-bodied cabernet franc from countries such as Argentina, California and South Africa

Fresh young Loire cabernet franc

Young cabernet franc has a distinctly herbal quality and tends to pair well with dishes flavoured with herbs, especially dill, fennel, rosemary and tarragon. Think chicken with herbs like roast chicken with herby crème fraîche or this lavash, chicken and herb pie with barberries, both from Olia Hercules, a herb-crusted rack of lamb or a navarin of lamb

It also has an affinity with green vegetables especially when they’re grilled or roasted - such as grilled asparagus (as you can see here), purple sprouting broccoli and even grilled artichokes. If you’ve got a vegetarian dish of spring vegetables such as asparagus, peas and broad beans you should reach for a bottle. And while it wouldn’t be my first choice with a spanakopita (Greek-style spinach pie) - I’d rather drink a crisp white - it would definitely work.

Pair it with herby Ottolengi-ish salads with bulgur, freekeh or other grains, especially with a herb dressing.

Evan Goldstein in his book Daring Pairings suggests enchiladas verdes, a combination I haven’t tried but I can definitely see would work. Anything with a tomatillo salsa too.

Like gamay, Loire cabernet franc also works well with charcuterie especially terrines and patés

Lightly chilled it can be a really useful pairing for fish, especially grilled tuna or salmon

It’s also good with goats cheese, young pecorino and other young sheep cheeses

and like Beaujolais you can pour it over or drink it with strawberries

More mature oak aged Loire cabernet franc

I’d be thinking of lamb again though maybe slow roast shoulder or a butterflied leg of lamb rather than rosy little lamb cutlets. Steak frites too.

I’d be more inclined to go for duck than chicken and feathered game such as pigeon (squab) pheasant and partridge

It would also work with light offal dishes such as kidneys or sweetbreads. Classic French bistro food.

Riper, more full-bodied cabernet franc from countries such as Argentina, California and South Africa

These behave quite like malbec in terms of wine pairing so red meat, especially steak, is an obvious go to. You could easily drink it with a barbecue including spicy sausages such as chorizo and merguez or with kebabs.

Read more about my take on cabernet franc in my recent Guardian column.

Note: Cabernet franc also plays a major part in Bordeaux blends including some of the most famous Bordeaux reds such as Cheval Blanc and in South America where it is generally riper and more full-bodied.

If you’re looking for a match for Bordeaux blends check out this post: What food to pair with red Bordeaux 

Image by VICUSCHKA at shutterstock.com

10 good wine pairings with paté

By paté I’m thinking of what wines to drink with rough country patés and terrines like a paté de campagne rather than fish patés or vegetarian patés which I’ll tackle separately. The sort that you might take on a picnic or eat in a wine bar.

Given that most patés contain a fair amount of fat you need a wine with some acidity. That could be white but personally I’m always drawn to rosé or a light, juicy red with the sort of bright berry fruit that complements paté perfectly, especially when served cool. Here are my top choices:

Beaujolais
The best wine bar none with charcuterie, paté included. I wouldn’t go for the cheapest examples but they don’t have to be a cru Beaujolais like a Morgon either.

Inexpensive red burgundy
I say red burgundy rather than Pinot Noir because I’m looking for acidity rather than sweetness. Nothing too grand - something like a Chorey-les-Beaune or even basic Bourgogne from a good producer

Loire reds like Saumur, Bourgeuil, Chinon and Anjou (as in this pairing)
Lightly chilled Cabernet Franc is great with paté

Rustic south-west French wines like Marcillac and Fronton - heavens, even a simple young Bordeaux

Valpolicella
No reason why France should have the monopoly on wine pairings. Its bright cherry fruit is lovely with pork

Mencia from the Bierzo region of north-west Spain - one of my new favourite Spanish grape varieties

Young syrah/shiraz - preferably from a natural wine producer like Hervé Souhaut

Southern French rosé - again I pick this as opposed to fruitier rosés because it’s dry. And rosé always seems the perfect picnic wine

Chablis - good with ham so generally good with paté too

Dry - or even sweet - oloroso sherry
Surprisingly good with richer game patés and terrines

And finally - not a wine but a surprisingly good pairing - gin!
Because of the botanicals, especially juniper. Again particularly good with a game paté

Image © © zoryanchik at fotolia.com