From outward appearances, Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars and later, Chateau Frank, seemed a completely male dominated company. A veritable male dominated dynasty. Dr. Konstantin Frank himself was an outsized, almost mythological, personality. He was the Prometheus of vinifera winemaking on the east coast. And his son Willy, no slouch in his own right, brought classic French-style sparkling vinifera winemaking to the state. And Third generation Frank, Fred, solidified a regional winery and turned it into a national brand.
But there is a changing of the guard in the ascension of Meaghan Frank, the Vice President of Dr. Frank. And she too is determined to leave her mark on this winery. And with that, a change in their sensibilities. In the issuing of their new line, "The Helms" series, Dr. Frank's celebrated the stories of four, little known, but great women in the history of the company. As the first woman of the Frank family running the winery, Meaghan Frank has created a line of wines which gives gratitude to the women who also helped build this dynasty.
The Dr. Konstantin Frank "Helm Series" honors Hilda, Eugenia, Lena, and Margrit. These wines are made from exceedingly old vineyard sites and wines were blended choosing from their highest quality barrels.
Meaghan Frank, Vice President
Meaghan, the great-granddaughter of Dr. Konstantin Frank, is the fourth generation winegrowner. After Meaghan graduated from high school, she enrolled at Cornell University for a degree in communications. As her interest in wine and the family business grew, Meaghan earned her MBA in wine business from the University of Adelaide, Australia, in 2013. Not settling with one degree, Meaghan completed her second Master’s degree in enology from Cornell University in December 2015. With combined expertise in wine business and winemaking, Meaghan has revolutionized the way the winery is run as well as the quality of the wines. Meaghan runs the day-to-day operations at the winery with a focus on winemaking direction, staff satisfaction, export markets, and guest experience. At the young age of 30, we have a lot to look forward to.
Eugenia Frank with husband Konstatin
Eugenia Frank
Konstantin and Eugenia Bartle met in 1923 in Selz while Konstantin was working as a schoolteacher. Eugenia always pushed Konstantin to follow his dreams even from the beginning. In 1925 she encouraged Konstantin to finish his degree in agriculture. Through the decades, Eugenia worked tirelessly to keep the family together as they survived the Russian Revolution, two World Wars, and ultimately starting a new life in America. She devoted herself to their American dream of founding a winery. While Konstantin was in the vineyards conducting his research, Eugenia welcomed guests, developed her gardens, hand-labeled bottles, worked in the vineyard and kept the newly formed winery strong. Towards the end of Konstantin's life, his palate was not what it used to be. He would hand Eugenia a glass of the wine he was working on and without a single word, she would communicate with a glance if the wine was ready to be released or not.
The 2017 Eugenia Dry Riesling honors her commitment to their Keuka farm. This Riesling comes from a single plot on the Keuka estate vineyards planted in 1968. Soils in this plot have higher slate content creating a wine with a distinct Keuka Lake minerality. This is a single vineyard dry Riesling, and very mineral-driven. It should pair beautifully with seafood but rich enough to handle poultry, sausage, or pork. This wine received a 91 from Wine Advocate!
Margrit
Margrit was born in Hamburg, Germany and immigrated to America shortly after her 25th birthday. Soon after arriving in New York, she gained a reputation as a highly sought-after seamstress creating dresses for fashion models and wealthy individuals. She met Willy Frank in 1956 and they began to build their life together, ultimately purchasing Chateau Frank in 1982 and moving to the Finger Lakes.
Margrit worked side-by-side with her husband Willy. She would entertain many important guests in their home and delight them with her excellent cooking and warm personality. After Willy had passed away, her regular evening routine after the winery closed was to walk the property, pick up any litter, water all the plants, and make sure everything was tidied for the next day. Even in her last days, she would say to her granddaughter Meaghan, "Sweetheart, how was business today?"
"The 2017 Margrit Dry Riesling honors her warmth, enthusiasm, and passion that she brought to our family winery." This Riesling comes from a single plot on their Seneca estate vineyard. The warmer temperatures at this location produce a more expressive, generous, and warm character in the wine. This is a lovely, single vineyard Riesling with a hint of sweetness and tremendous acidity. Beautifully balanced and complex. 91 Points Wine & Spirits Magazine!
Lena
Helena 'Lena' Frank, as with her siblings Willy and Hilda, Lena grew up in the USSR while her father Konstantin was tasked with the rebuilding of the Troubetskoy vineyards. Lena, as Kostantin's youngest daughter, would often accompany her father on his rounds through the estates and on hunting and fishing trips. Lena was to keep a sharp eye on her father and to collect his hat, coat, shoes or other items that he was prone to leave behind. She recalled once wading into the Dnieper River to retrieve ducks that her father shot. Her wild and adventurous spirit has kept with her throughout her life. She was the only one of Konstantin's children to return numerous times to Ukraine to keep up the family relationships with those still living there.
Hilda Frank
The grapes from this single vineyard come from the Eric Volz Vineyard, just north across the road from Dr. Konstantin Frank’s plantings on Keuka Lake. The vineyard was planted in 1985 by Walter Volz, the winery’s first Vineyard Manager. This vineyard is managed by Eric Volz, current Vineyard Manager for the winery. This wine is named it after Konstantin and Eugenia's daughter Hilda. Hilda Chardonnay 2019 is named for her. Hilda was a woman in the family known for her work ethic and her unrelenting commitment to her family.
The Hilda Chardonnay 2019 is a single vineyard, barrel fermented Chardonnay. This wine captures the Keuka lakeside shale along oak aromas of cedar, wood, clove, and ginger balanced beautifully with apple, pear, lemon curd, pineapple, and passion fruit. Great, round mouthfeel, stone fruits and citrus zest. Bright and zesty acidity. A perfectly balanced oak-aged style of Chardonnay with the structure and vibrancy to cellar. This is a chardonnay that can be paired with lobster, salmon, or scallops, as well as roasted or grilled chicken or pork. Impressive.
Meaghan
These wines are an important statement. Not only are they honoring the past (and beautifully so, if I may add), but they are a HUGE stepping stone to the future! This is a carefully and well placed step in the right direction for Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars. And it signals the real leadership of Meghan Frank in that direction! Bravo!