It's happened before. Supporting actors become stars in their own right. Merlot was the first to break the shackles of Old World "blending partner" to stand alone as a New World varietal wine. Malbec and carmenere followed suit. Now, cabernet franc is finding itself more and more in the spotlight.

It's been a delicious evolution.

Who would have thought that merlot, relegated to the cold soils (limestone and clay) of Bordeaux, would transform itself so magnificently in a warmer clime on better sites with different soils? Merlot found welcome arms in California and Chile, and long before the "Sideways"-induced craze for pinot noir, merlot filled the void as the approachable, crowd-pleasing red by offering up gobs of juicy, plummy fruit with a generous and soft finish. Serious bottlings of the stuff (ex: Louis Martini and Sterling Three Palms) are downright magnificent.

In Bordeaux, merlot has always dominated the Right Bank blends. Today, in order to make their wines more approachable upon release, Left Bank vignerons are planting merlot on cabernet (warm) soils and incorporating a higher percentage of this rich fruit into their Left Bank blends. Nowhere is this more prevalent then in St. Estephe, a commune historically characterized as "tough as nails" in its youth. The softening of St. Estephe is attracting attention within the wine world and putting the spotlight back on merlot in the Old World.

Malbec, another of the support cast in the Bordeaux blend, has always been problematic to grow in that maritime climate. The vine tends to drop its berries in the spring if there is cool, cloudy weather (coulure), thereby reducing yields. And cool, cloudy springs are a common occurance.

In the winter of 1956, Malbec took it on the chin. One-third of the Malbec vines died due to a severe winter freeze. Because of the obvious vulnerability of that vine to the cold (and its tendency to drop fruit in springtime), most of that Malbec acreage was not replanted. As a result, there is less malbec in the Bordeaux blends today than was incorporated in centuries past.

Malbec, however, found a new home in Argentina, where it has become that country's claim to fame in the red arena. Its soft berry fruit, thick velvet tannins and low acidity make it an approachable red. The warm and sunny climate make it a successful vine.

Carmenere, another of the support crew of the Bordeaux blend, all but disappeared in Bordeaux after the New World vineyard scourge, downy mildew, decimated the plantings there in the 1800s. It, too, had been a significant part of the Bordeaux blend, but hasn't contributed one dollop of its incredible and heady spice to that blend for almost 150 years.

Luckily, the grape had found its way to Chile and put down roots. It had masqueraded as merlot for generations, but is now recognized and touted for what it is: a fabulously rich and multi-faceted spice-driven red with brushed cotton tannins. Beware, though. Many are currently over-oaked.

With such a track record of turning ugly ducklings into swans, it is no wonder that the New World has finally started to pay attention to cabernet franc, another of the Bordeaux blend support crew.

Cabernet franc is actually one of the parents of cabernet sauvignon. In a fortuitous 17th century cross, cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc gave us cabernet sauvignon. The son has usurped the father's power since then.

Until fairly recently, it was rare to see cabernet franc as a stand-alone bottling, but more and more are cropping up. And why not? The grape yields rich, satisfying reds that smell and taste like autumn leaves with hints of hummus or potting soil, mushroom, violets, wild strawberries, tree bark and sweet herb. This grape has come into its own in the warmer and sunnier climates of the New World and is starting to tickle the taste buds of red wine cognoscenti.

Here are a few to try!

Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Franc, Wetzel Family Estate 2006, California, $24.99

A rich, soft, heady, twiggy red that tastes of autumn leaves and forest floor. A true Druid's delight! Fabulous.

Hermann Wiemer Cabernet Franc 2006, Fingerlakes, N.Y., $22.99

Light, almost Beaujolais-like in weight, with delicate notes of cranberry and herb with a kiss of white pepper.

Rappahannock Cabernet Franc 2006, Virginia, $18.99

All tobacco, tea and herbs with a hint of forest underbrush.

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