When eating at a restaraunt I’m always thrilled to see that they have a section of the wine menu labeled “interesting reds” or “exotic reds” or “oddball whites.” It usually catches my attention just enough to want to try something below that headline, something slightly different than the usual chianti or chardonnay that I’d likely order.

Last night over dinner with family at Bennetts Bistro on Mercer Island we opted to try the Patrick M Paul Cab Franc. Their website is unfortunaly undescript, but when you are only producing 350 cases per year, why bother?

According to one of the Walla Walla wine tourist sites: Est. in 1988, Patrick M. Paul Vineyards is a family owned and operated “boutique winery” that began with the planting of Cabernet Franc in the mid 1980s. Handcrafting small lots of award winning Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and their famous Cabernet Franc. Producing 350 cases or less of wine per year.

This Cab Franc was excellent and nicely balanced – not too dry and not too sweet and was a perfect companion to our meal at Bennetts. I’ll likely try this bottle again, if i can find it anywhere.