Vitis vinifera Cabernet Franc - Grape vine

The 'Cabernet Franc' vine is the oldest variety cultivated in Gironde. Vigorous and productive, it produces medium-sized clusters, quite compact, winged. The berries are spherical, with a thin, pruinose, black-blue skin. The pulp is juicy, sweet, and slightly astringent. Harvest takes place in October. The 'Cabernet Franc' vine is not very susceptible to downy mildew and powdery mildew.

The wine grape vine (Vitis vinifera) grew wild more than 5000 years ago. Its introduction to France for cultivation was done by the Romans. Many hybrids have been created to vary colours, flavours, and uses. The 'Cabernet Franc' vine is an ancient variety (traced back to the 1st century AD) probably selected empirically from plant material from the northern Pyrenees. It is listed in the Official Catalogue of vine varieties.

A vigorous climbing shrub, the 'Cabernet Franc' vine can reach up to 5m (16ft). It is easy to train. Its final shape will depend on the pruning practised. It prefers well-drained moist soils. The vine attaches itself to its support (trellis, espalier) thanks to its tendrils and likes sunny situations. Its foliage, deeply cut, is a deep green in summer and turns to the most beautiful gold in autumn. Its flowering in clusters occurs in May, offering tiny white-pink flowers.

Its grapes, in medium-sized clusters, ripen in October, depending on the region. The berries are spherical, with a thin, pruinose, black-blue skin. The pulp is juicy, sweet, and slightly astringent. 'Cabernet Franc' produces a high-quality, highly structured, perfumed wine, less tannic, which ensures better aging.

Grapes can be consumed as table fruit, fresh, but also in jams, jellies, fruit juice, pastries, and of course, as wine.