Along with Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc is one of the genetic parents of Cabernet Sauvignon. Both of the Cabernets are among the five major grapes grown in the Bordeaux wine region of France. The differences between the two becomes clear when they are cultivated and fermented near one another.http://www.winepros.org/wine101/grape_profiles/cab-franc.htm

As a varietal, Cabernet Franc is not well known in the United States. However, in Europe among the vintners of France it is used in combination to make other red wine. In the Loire Valley of Bordeaux it's used to make some of that region's greatest red wines.http://www.tablewine.com/archiv33.htm It is used with Merlot to produce fine wines.

Cabernet Franc goes by a number of different names, including "Bordo" or "Cabernet Frank" in Italy. Many Italian wines are simply labeled as "Cabernet," perhaps for marketing reasons, when they are in fact Cabernet Francs.http://www.tablewine.com/archiv33.htm

One of the reasons Cabernet Franc is not often bottled as a varietal is because it sometimes has earthy overtones and some vegetal tendencies, such as green pepper and olives.http://www.wine.com/