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April 2015 WINES&VINES 81 WINE EAST GRAPEGROWING Growing Cabernet Franc in the Finger Lakes Taking steps in the vineyard can optimize wine quality for this Bordeaux varietal By Ray Pompilio A fter more than 30 years of effort, the Finger Lakes region of New York is now known for its many fine Riesling wines. In- stead of another white wine, the next wine to gain acclaim in the Finger Lakes could be the red variety Cabernet Franc. According to the 2011 survey done by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Riesling, with 849 acres, is the most widely planted vinif- era varietal in the Finger Lakes. Char- donnay is the next largest at 351 acres. Cabernet Franc is third with 236 acres—a 19% increase over the 199 acres counted in 2006. Best known for growing in the Bordeaux and Loire Val- ley regions in France, the vine's ability to ripen regularly in cool climates and survive cold winters (such as 2013-14 in the Finger Lakes) provide good rea- sons for this increase. In order to get a better understanding of the parameters for successful Caber- net Franc propagation in the region, I met with Alan Lakso, Cornell University professor emeritus of fruit crop physiol- ogy, based in Geneva, N.Y. Lakso, edu- cated in the 1970s at the University of California, Davis, has just retired from Cornell, but he is still involved with proj- ects at the university, including tasting trials of Cabernet Franc grown under different yield situations. KEY POINTS Some New York winemakers think Cabernet Franc could be the re- gion's signature red wine. In this article, two Seneca Lake winemak- ers and a Cornell University crop specialist share their experiences growing the wine grape cultivar. Considerations include deciding when to pick, determining accept- able sugar levels and whether or not to machine harvest. Two styles of Cabernet Franc are currently produced: a full-bodied, more extracted style, and a lighter wine with good fruit expression. Cabernet Franc is the third most widely planted variety in the Finger Lakes, where vineyard managers are learning how to minimize methoxypyrazines by reducing vine vigor.