Cab Franc and Pasta with Tomato Sauce?

I am fixing pasta with red sauce for a couple of friends this weekend. I was going to serve Chianti, but I'm wondering if Cab Franc might work with the tomato sauce? The sauce has basil and other herbs in it.

The Cab Francs include one from California and possibly a French one from Saumur.

Any thoughts?

I ususally serve pasta/tomato sauce dishes with an Italian red like Chianti, Barbera, or Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. However, your post made me wonder about what else one might drink with Italian fare.

Personally, I've never met a cab franc that I liked, so here is someone else's opinions.

http://weingolb.blogspot.com/2006/09/an ... sauce.html

Thanks, Linda. The one friend is kinda a "wine geek" who enjoys austere, interesting wines, so I was wondering about an alternative.

His significant other, though, prefers rounder, fruitier wines...so I'm debating what might work for her. Although it won't work with the sauce, I may open a Central Coast Syrah for her.

Another thought for your wine geek friend would be a Pinotage from South Africa. We had a Serengeti that was good. I don't know how it would work with your sauce, but it was great with BBQ chicken. His S.O. probably wouldn't care for it, though. She might, however, like a light Barbera. La Sera Barbera "Il Falo" was a good choice for us. We took it to a pasta dinner with friends and it was a hit.

Good luck.

I don't see any problem with using the Cab Franc. It has all the characteristics of the other wines mentioned and is not native Italian. It is grown in Italy though. Personally I haven't found a Cabernet Franc that I didn't like. Remember Cheval Blanc, possibly the best wine in the world year in and year out, is Cab Franc in front of Merlot.

Salute', Carl

Barbera would still be my fist choice. Another interesting possibility is a Central Coast pinot noir that isn't overblown (e.g., Lane Tanner); there's a distinctive tomato hint to the smell of properly-grown CC pinot and a good acidity that matches very well with tomato sauces.

I am fixing pasta with red sauce for a couple of friends this weekend. I was going to serve Chianti, but I'm wondering if Cab Franc might work with the tomato sauce? The sauce has basil and other herbs in it.

The Cab Francs include one from California and possibly a French one from Saumur.

Any thoughts?

I had the Ballentine Cab Franc I mentioned in the other thread with some fettucine and my own (no onion, only garlic) tomato sauce the other night. The tomato sauce seemed to defeat the herbaceousness of the wine and brought out some wonderful fruity flavors which really rang my chimes considering it was a hastily thrown together meal and the bottle had been open for about 48 hours.

I say, "Do it!"

[Jenise]

Brian, you're right that the herbs in both the wine and the sauce could create a nice match or at least, they wouldn't offend each other. Within the largesse of "eat the food you want, drink the wine you like", I don't see a problem here except to point out that if the wine's very tannic, there's little in the sauce to mop those up.

Sounds like the wine choice (and perhaps a wine that you've already got and that would have a story to it) is almost more important than the perfect food match. If so, you'll be fine. If you want to go classic, well of course Chianti or barbera. And if you want to look like a genius for pairing two less than usual companions, go with Stuart's suggestion of a Santa Barbara pinot.

I think I'll punt on the question and open three.

My one friend loves wine, his sig other won't drink enough to be unsafe for driving, and I'm at home, so....

Domaine Fouet Saumur Champigny (Dreaded 2003)
Ruffino Chianti Classico Ducale D'Oro 2001
Cascina Val del Prete Serra De'Gatti Barbera D'Alba 2004

i recomend to drink white wine with it.

it gos better with tomatosauce