Another Great Cabernet Franc from Michigan

I had been waiting all week for this. Bob Bonga of Cascade Winery in Grand Rapids, assured me that the 2008 Cabernet Franc was one of their best wines.

I had big plans for this wine. I uncorked the bottle to let it breathe a bit, while I began the preparation. The rain looked like it had died down, so I went on the patio and built a wonderful bonfire in our fire pit.

Followers of me on twitter, know that I have really been diggin' Michigan Cabernet Franc lately, so this was my way of winding down a busy weekend and enjoying the last few hours of peace and quiet before being consumed in corporate America again on Monday morning.

With the fire blaring and the glasses poured, my wife and I went out on the patio and began enjoying our wine.

When I first sniffed this wine, I immediately got lots of blueberry and blackberry. The fruit sensations pulled me in. I was rewarded with my first sip. The dark black plum and spicy finish lit up my mouth.

The tasting notes on Cascade Winery's website say that his is a semi-sweet red wine. Although that may be true, I think that dry red wine lovers (like me) will appreciate the earthy finish.

The tasting notes say that it should be served chilled for maximum taste. I think that overly chilling wines (both red and white) takes away from their true flavor. I drank this wine straight out of my cellar (slightly cooler than room temperature) and it was bursting with flavor. I am afraid that chilling it would mute some of that.

After about 20 minutes on the patio, the rain started up again. Not to be deterred, we grabbed an umbrella and persevered on. I am sure that my neighbors thought we were crazy -- sipping wine on our patio under an umbrella, in front of a fire trying to stay lit in the rain.

It was a little goofy, but I was enjoying this wine so much I didn't want to leave. I was just as excited about the price of this wine. It is available online for $14. I would argue that it is every bit as good as Cab Franc selling for $20-25 elsewhere in Michigan. I strongly recommend you give it a try.

I hope that Bob and Roger Bonga can get this entered in the Michigan Cab Franc Challenge to compete for the Harding Cup. I think they have a good chance to make a great showing.