ENRU

    Arrows to move, Enter to open

    Cabernet Franc

    Vitis vinifera L.

    A red grape from south-west France and a parent of two of the world's most famous varieties.

    VIVC
    № 19271
    Berry skin
    black (noir)1
    Origin
    France1
    Synonyms in VIVC
    1061
    central lobepetiolar sinuslobes: 5cluster

    No parents confirmed by DNA (VIVC).

    vinoluma engraving: schematic leaf after the description (5 lobes).

    Where Cabernet Franc comes from and grows

    1. Origin (VIVC)France
    2. Atlas regionNapa Valley
    3. Atlas regionBordeaux

    Country of origin as given by VIVC. Regions are those where the atlas sources mention the variety; not a complete list of where it grows.

    Pick a place and the globe turns to it. You can also drag the globe.

    A parent of Bordeaux

    Cabernet Franc probably comes from south-west France.2 VIVC lists no confirmed parents for it.1

    Its children are better known than it is. In 1997 UC Davis showed that Cabernet Sauvignon is a cross of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.3 VIVC also lists Cabernet Franc as a parent of Merlot.4

    Where it grows

    It is one of the traditional varieties of Pauillac in Bordeaux.5

    Other names

    Examples of synonyms recorded in VIVC: Acheria, Bidure, Blauer Carmenet, Ardounet, Bordeaux.1

    Around the world

    In 2023 it covered 45,295 hectares of bearing vineyards worldwide, ranking 18 of 1497 varieties in the database.6

    The largest area is in France: 28,958 ha (64% of the world total), across 34 countries.6

    Between 2000 and 2023 its area shrank by 7%.6

    1. France28,958 ha
    2. Italy4,125 ha
    3. Chile1,702 ha
    4. Argentina1,684 ha
    5. Hungary1,347 ha
    6. the United States987 ha
    7. Canada979 ha
    8. South Africa796 ha
    9. Moldova756 ha
    10. Spain739 ha
    11. Bulgaria692 ha
    12. Russia516 ha

    Area, 2023

    48,62252,77549,45045,2952000201020162023

    Regions

    Sources

    1. VIVC passport no. 1927. Vitis International Variety Catalogue (JKI), accessed 2026-10-13. level 2 · checked 2026-10-13
    2. Cabernet franc N. plantGrape (IFV / INRAE / Institut Agro), accessed 2026-10-13. level 2 · checked 2026-10-13
    3. DNA Fingerprinting Reveals Parentage of Classic Wine Grape (on Bowers & Meredith, Nature Genetics, May 1997). University of California, Davis, 1997. level 4 · checked 2026-10-13
    4. VIVC passport no. 7657. Vitis International Variety Catalogue (JKI), accessed 2026-10-13. level 2 · checked 2026-10-13
    5. Cahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Pauillac». INAO, 2025. level 1 · checked 2026-10-13
    6. Database of Regional, National and Global Winegrape Bearing Areas by Variety, 2000 to 2023. Anderson K., Nelgen S., Puga G. Wine Economics Research Centre, University of Adelaide (CC BY 4.0), 2026. level 3 · checked 2026-10-13