A new wine movement called Cab Franc Forward is taking hold in New York. Co-founded by two Long Islanders — Gabriella Macari, director of operations at Macari Vineyards and Winery in Mattituck, and Max Rohn, C.E.O. of Wölffer Estate in Sagaponack — their mission is not only to make great wine but also to declare cabernet franc the state’s premier grape.
“This movement is grassroots by design, with winemakers, growers, and supporters coming together with a shared sense of pride in what we produce here,” said Mr. Rohn. “Cabernet franc captures something quintessentially New York: energy, balance, and authenticity.”
Mr. Rohn and Ms. Macari started Cab Franc Forward in 2025 with a founding committee of eight wineries. Today, they are more than 40 strong, with a proclamation from Gov. Kathy Hochul commending their work.
So, why choose cab franc as the state grape? It’s uniquely suited to accommodate New York’s diverse climates and soil types. An early ripening grape, cab franc works in cooler regions upstate as well as warmer areas like Long Island. Lighter than cabernet sauvignon or merlot, cab franc can still stand up to a steak — if you choose the right bottle — but it isn’t going to drown you in its heavy alcohol content. Quite simply, it’s a crowd pleaser.
On Feb. 3, at the Prince George Ballroom in Manhattan, 39 winemakers from four of New York’s wine regions — the Finger Lakes, Hudson River, Long Island, and the Niagara Escarpment — poured their best cab franc for the second annual New York Cab Franc Grand Tasting, and the grapes most certainly pleased the crowd.
Ms. Macari’s family has been growing grapes and making wine for three generations. “I take pride in our work,” she said. “From my great-grandfather making wine in a Queens basement to his vineyard on the North Fork, that pride has always been tied to quality and to the belief that what we grow and craft here deserves recognition.”
Macari Vineyards makes some of the premier red wines on Long Island, and while Macari featured three delicious reds at the tasting, its 2024 Horses Sparkling Cabernet Franc ($32 at macariwines.com) was the most interesting wine at the event. This pétillant naturel (pét-nat), is a naturally sparkling wine that’s low in alcohol (11.4 percent) and refreshingly light. With a seltzer-like fizz and hints of peach that are fruity, not sweet, this might be the least cloying rosé on the market. A perfect breakfast or brunch wine for those who don’t want to wait until it’s 5 o’clock somewhere, this would be fantastic with a veggie omelette or asparagus frittata and some greens.
Continuing with rosé, because we could all use a reminder that warmer days are on the way, Fjord vineyards in the Hudson River region, owned by the husband-and-wife team of Matthew Spaccarelli and Casey Erdmann, poured a terrific 2024 Estate Dry Rosé of Cabernet Franc ($22 at fjordvineyards.com). It was herbaceous and full of character with darker fruit flavors than a typical rosé (think raspberry) yet still tasted like spring is coming.
Rounding out the rosés, the 2024 Dry Rosé from Boundary Breaks Vineyard in the Finger Lakes was the best value of the day at an astoundingly cheap $15.95. Made from 60 percent cabernet franc grapes and 40 percent cabernet sauvignon — which makes it the fullest of the bunch too — this wine had a lovely minerality and nice heft. This is a rosé that could stand up to a heavier meal than most and would be great with chicken, pork chops, or game birds. It’s available online at store.boundarybreaks.com.
Of the red cabernet francs on display at the Prince George, none had a sexier nose than the 2019 Jamesport Vineyard Cabernet Franc from Red Hook Winery. A fascinating concept started in 2008, Red Hook Winery buys the best grapes available around the State of New York and makes all of its wines on Pier 41 in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Mark Snyder — who has been a friend of the South Fork Somm for two decades — founded the winery in 2008. A Brooklyn native who designs rigs for Billy Joel, Mr. Snyder discovered his exceptional passion and palate for wine while on tour in California. This 2019 cab franc shows how far he has come.
Made with grapes planted at Jamesport Vineyards in Cutchogue in 1994, it was fermented in stainless steel before spending two and a half years in neutral oak barrels. The result is elegant and layered, with lovely body on the mid-palate. This tastes much more expensive than its $35 price tag on redhookwinery.com. Christopher Nicolson, Red Hook’s winemaker, is a character who produces wines as interesting as he is. He’s also a huge proponent of Cab Franc Forward. “It’s our hope that all New York ships rise with this tide,” he said.
Staying on Long Island, Ev & Em Vineyards in Laurel on the North Fork brought two cab francs with completely different personalities. A 2023 Classic Cabernet Franc was light and lean with gritty, sandpaper tannins. It was a refreshing red that could even be served slightly below room temperature. The 2024 Classic Cabernet Franc, which will be bottled in two weeks, was offered as a barrel sample. It was darker and more concentrated, with sharper tannins that will soften beautifully with time. Both retail for $58 on eveandemvineyards.com. Dan Abrams, the chief legal analyst for ABC News bought the vineyard in 2021, and in the last five years has shown he not only has a nose for news, but also for great grapes.
Finally, and perhaps the best showcase of soil’s impact on wine, was Forge Cellars in the Finger Lakes, whose spirit is half American and half French thanks to its French female winemaker, Léana Godard. She brought four different 2024 cabernet francs to the tasting — Willow Vineyard Cabernet Franc with grippy tannins and cherry flavor, grown in sandy soil; Railroad Vineyard Cabernet Franc, a deeper red grown in gravelly soil; Caywood Vineyard Cabernet Franc, grown in loamy soil with ripe tannins ready for food, and Bellows Vineyard Cabernet Franc, made from four-year-old vines planted in sandy soil at 1,000 feet of elevation for an elegant almost Burgundian effect. A sampling of the 2020 Willow Vineyard showed how the tannins in these wines will fall away to create a silky, satiny finish. Ranging in price from $26 to $32 on forgecellars.com, the wines have an old-world European air about them, thanks to Ms. Godard, a name to remember.
Above all, the name to remember from the day was Mr. Rohn. He’s the C.E.O. of a vineyard best known for its rosé, who set out to make New York cabernet franc a household name, and in two short years is having tremendous success. “When we talk about drinking local, it’s about more than proximity,” Mr. Rohn said. “It’s about supporting a community and celebrating identity.”
If you’d like to support our local wine shops, Springs Wines and Liquor stocks Wölffer’s cabernet franc, as does the Sag Harbor Liquor Store on Main Street. Park Place Wines and Liquors in East Hampton carries Macari’s cabernet franc.
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Alison Morris Roslyn is a Level 3 sommelier, certified by the National Wine School. She also has certificates in French wines from Cornell University and in oenology from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.
