Wild Arc Farm Cabernet Franc Piquette 2019 (750ML)

They only made a little Cab Franc last year (look for it in 2021!) but were lucky to get some additional Cab Franc pomace from their friends Andrew and Jen at Eminence Road Farm Winery to make a little bit more of one of their favorite varietal piquettes.

Vineyard: Folts Farm
Region: Finger Lakes
Farming: Sustainable
SO2: Zero Added
Vinification: Standard Piquette 50% water addition to pomace after pressing.
Notes: Rose water and raspberries, exceptionally light on its feet.

Crystal and Todd Cavallo moved to their farm in Pine Bush, NY from Brooklyn in 2016 and as they wait for the vineyards on their property to mature, they are purchasing fruit from different parts of NY state, but the bulk of their output comes from the Amorici vineyard in Washington County, home to a dozen hybrid varieties.

Todd's decision to produce a Piquette helped to catapult them into national recognition very quickly. This is an old tradition in Europe, where grape must (skins and seeds) left over from winemaking is re-fermented in water, creating a low-alcohol beverage that was often given to vineyard workers instead of wine. Todd uses local wildflower honey to boost the fermentation, adding back 15 percent of the original wine to increase the alcohol and flavor, and bottling or canning it with a little residual sugar so that fermentation continues and creates carbonation. The result is a refreshing sparkling low alcohol beverage that has captured the imaginations of other domestic winemakers and resulted in a revival of this style of wine.