In New York, “Cabernet” means Franc.

Its most widely planted red grape, Cabernet Franc thrives in the state’s cool climate, where it ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon and yields more consistently delicious wines vintage after vintage. The grape’s stylistic diversity is also an advantage here: New York-grown Cab Franc can produce fresh, easy-drinking bottlings and structured, ageworthy iterations that resemble fine reds from Bordeaux.

So when Nova Cadamatre gets her hands on some of it, you can guarantee the wine is going to be good.

“Cabernet Franc is super elegant but with a beautiful underlying power,” says Nova. “It really allows the winemaker to show off different styles that can be made from the grape.”

A graduate of Cornell University (widely considered to be New York’s best school for wine studies), Nova has worked with some of the world’s most elite vineyards and crafted top bottles at acclaimed Napa Valley estates like Robert Mondavi Winery and Beringer. She’s also just one of 425 industry professionals worldwide to have earned a Master of Wine certification—and was the first female winemaker in the U.S. to do so.

These days, she’s what she calls “a bi-coastal winemaker,” known to fly back and forth from New York to Napa. Out west, she runs a microbrand called Fiadh Ruadh and consults with other growers and makers on every step from vine to bottling line. Back east, she’s also a consultant, but is more focused on Trestle Thirty One, a boutique winery she established with her husband Brian.

The operation was born from their dream to put down roots with their own vines and to create distinct, purposeful wines from an American region they love. And though they’re still working on the literal—vineyard—roots, there’s no shortage of passion behind the wines they’ve so far produced.

The red counterpart to their increasingly popular Riesling, this one is made from Cab Franc grown at Simmons Vineyards, a three-generation family-run farm out on Keuka Lake’s ideally situated bluff. It’s savory, dark and structured, but plenty elegant and incredibly food friendly. Its nose gives you an immediate sense of the delicious sip to follow, casting layered aromas of plum and green peppercorn, black cherry and violets. On the palate, cranberry and red currant meet with herbal tones and a dark mineral quality. We know it’s one you’ll reach for endlessly.