Of them all, I was most impressed with the 2009 dry rosé from Sheldrake Point ( $12 ). very nice dry rosé of 100% Cabernet Franc grapes. courtesy of Lenndevours.com Trying to save my Finger Lakes Rieslings for mid summer, so I started opening some of the wines I brought home from my last Finger Lakes visit. MORE >>

will add some more flesh to these bare bones in a future posts, particularly for Muscadet, some cabernet franc, and one heirloom variety. The Loire has such diverse wines–red, white, pink, sparkling, sweet–that there’s enough to keep a wine enthusiast’s attention for a long time. French wine MORE >>

Of course, I did come to the rescue with a Cabernet Franc Rosé just brought home from my recent Keuka Lake Wine Tour and a visit to McGregor Vineyard and Winery. McGregor Vineyard and Winery Rose' d'Cabernet Franc 2009 ( $15 ), Fantastic Tonight Shirley made one of her classic catastrophes. digress, now back to my Rose'. MORE >>

As in Cheverny, red wines from Valençay contain several grapes, typically some blend of Gamay, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Cabernet Franc. The 2006 vintage is 40% Gamay, 30% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Pinot Noir. and the earthy structure that the Cabernet Franc brings to the table." For example. MORE >>

Add one more new discovery for 2009 and a reason to be very optimistic for 2010. This has been one fantastic year of enlightenment for me when it comes to all things wine. Believe I may do a year end article on the subject. If I do, I will have to include the German grape, Dornfelder as one of the highlights. MORE >>