Close-Up: A Conversation with Rich Frank, Frank Family Vineyards

“You can’t work at Disney if you don’t like people,” said Rich Frank during one of the most entertaining and detailed phone conversations I’ve had. Engaging and gregarious with a sly sense of humor, Rich Frank is owner of Frank Family Vineyards in Napa Valley and former President of Disney Studios.

Prior to his global career, Rich Frank was President of Paramount Television Group, President of Chris Craft Television and a founder of the USA Network. Under his leadership, landmark shows such as Cheers, Golden Girls, Ellen, Dead Poet’s Society, Pretty Woman, Aladdin and The Lion King became known throughout the world and achieved phenomenal success. Currently, he’s the Vice Chairman and Executive Board Member of the American Film Institute. Rich Frank was and continues to be a force in the industry. So why did he relocate to Napa and decide to own a vineyard?

While at Disney, Rich explained that “work was 24/7 – there was no break. If I had a three-day weekend or a block of time in the summer, I rented a house in Malibu. But when I visited Napa in the late 1980s, I fell in love with the area. It was a great place for a second home.” In 1990, Rich Frank purchased a 1930s Tudor home in Rutherford with plenty of land and a few grapevines. It also included a neighbor, Kerner Rombauer, who became one of his closest friends. “Don’t quit your day job,” said Rombauer. “The wine business is tough.”

Rich admits that “owning a winery was not a lifelong dream or aspiration. But sometimes you can’t plan things… they just work out. The area and people hooked me first and then, wine.” By 1992, Rich Frank purchased the iconic Larkmead Building that functioned as the Hanns Kornell Champagne Cellars. The rest is history. He and Kerner Rombauer worked together to liquidate the inventory and on July 4, 1993, Frank Family Vineyards opened for business.

Working with Rich is his wife Leslie, an Emmy award winning broadcast journalist, co-proprietor of Frank Family Vineyards and a crucial element of the team. She’s responsible for Marketing & Branding and oversees outreach, website design and operation. As of late, Leslie adeptly hosts virtual tastings that are extremely popular. Visit the engaging, informative website here.

Frank Family Vineyard Sites

During our conversation, Rich Frank said words I’ll always remember. “There’s a giant similarity between making a movie and making wine. You need a great script to get a great movie; you need great grapes to get a great wine. You need a director to cast the movie; you need a winemaker to cast the barrels. Both take about a year to produce. And financially, you lay out the money early before you can get it back.”

Cut to the director. About 18 years ago, Todd Graff joined the Frank Family Vineyards team as Winemaker and now, he’s General Manager, too. With a broad resume including successful international and domestic winemaking experiences with a variety of wineries (including sparkling wines at both Schramsberg and Cordoniu – now Artesa), Rich Frank refers to Todd as a “phenomenal winemaker.” I understand why. He has elevated the original portfolio to include 22 different wines at varying price points. Todd recently told me in an email exchange that “I strive to respect the site and variety, then create wines with structure and balance.”

Each site is the best place for its respective varietals to grow. For example, our Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are sourced from Carneros, whose cool maritime climate is perfect for such varietals. As for our Rutherford properties, the Rutherford AVA is the heart of Napa’s Cabernet land, that distinct Rutherford Dust creates an incredible character in our Cabernet Sauvignons.

Winston Hill, with soils of well drained, volcanic deposits and sandstone, is located 500 feet off the valley floor in Rutherford, on the east side of the Napa Valley along the Vaca Mountain Range. Due to its southwest exposure Winston Hill receives some of the longest hours of sunshine in the valley. The vineyard has an average rainfall of 24-26 inches per year.

Benjamin Vineyard is in the very heart of Rutherford just west of Conn Creek Road and is on gravelly loam soil resulting from sediment from the Conn Creek and Napa River which flowed through the region thousands of years ago. Located on the valley floor it gets long hours of sunshine and cool, breezy nights which lets the grapes mature slowly and steadily.

Lewis Vineyard is made up of 86 acres of gently rolling hills on primarily shallow and dense clay loam. It’s located in the Napa/Carneros AVA near the shores of the San Pablo Bay which creates a predominant maritime influence with cool temperatures, fog and wind and receiving only about 20 inches of rainfall annually.

S&J Vineyard is of well-drained and clay loam-based soil, reminiscent of Rutherford Bench. It’s located east of the Vaca Mountain Range in Capell Valley. At 700 feet it sees cool nights balanced with warm days which allows for a long and even ripening of the grapes. Todd Graff, Winemaker and General Manager

Frank Family Vineyards was one of the first wineries in Calistoga to be Napa Green certified and has been since 2015. Among other practices, Todd added that “in the winery we recycle all grape must, corks, packaging and capsules, as well as recycling all office supplies such as ink cartridges and paper. Currently we are experimenting with a variety of cold stabilization techniques to reduce energy use including trials on chemical stabilization and filter stabilization. We’ve reduced energy use in the winery by installing skylights which enhance natural light and we’ve increased insulation which allows us to use less air conditioning in warmer months and less heat in cooler months. To conserve water, we’ve installed flow meters in the winery, forgo water in place of steam whenever possible, recycle winery greywater into landscaping and we reuse chemical washes for tanks, using one set of chemicals for three tanks.”

The Wines from Frank Family Vineyards

Rich Frank firmly believes that he “touches people every day” with each bottle of wine opened. He maintains that he’ll only produce wines that he likes drinking. As an example, he stated with a chuckle, “I never made a horror movie because I hate horror movies…so I don’t make Sauvignon Blanc.” Duly noted!

However, Rich Frank does enjoy sparkling wines and as a “tip of the hat to Hanns Kornell,” he continues its production. With the addition of Todd Graff and his expertise in sparkling wine production, Todd “upped the game in quality.” Currently, limited amounts of four different sparkling wines are produced using the méthode traditionelle and offered exclusively for wine club members and sales at the winery. Lady Edythe is the “top of the line.”

The winery’s focus is still wines, however. Sent as samples, the wines I tasted were elegant and seductive. I enjoyed Frank Family 2018 Carneros Chardonnay ($38) with seared scallops and house-made caponata, a mouthwatering wine and food pairing. On the nose and palate, I found notes of toasted brioche, lemon, lime herbs, hint of pepper that led to a creamy, round finish. Frank Family 2018 Carneros Pinot Noir ($38) boasted aromas of raspberries, cherries, cola, vanilla and the slightest hint of milk chocolate. Balanced with moderate acidity and tannins, flavors of lush red berries, fruit and space took the spotlight.

I’m an avid Zinfandel lover and Frank Family 2017 Napa Valley Zinfandel ($38) delivered generous aromas of red berries, oregano, toast and waft of smoke. The palate offered flavors of pomegranate, juicy berries and spice that were framed with medium acidity and integrated tannic structure. Finally, Frank Family 2016 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($58) burst with aromas of black cherries, vanilla, cola, chocolate and baking spices. On the flavorful, complex palate, I found rustic notes of blueberries, earth, chocolate and dark fruit. Vibrant acidity and firm tannins were the foundation to this magnificent wine.

So, what is Rich Frank drinking these days? To begin, He loves “big wines” such as Cabernet Sauvignon and a quality Chardonnay. “I love to grill,” he said. And when ribs are sizzling, “it will be a two-bottle of Zinfandel dinner… one for cooking and one while eating.” With pasta, count on Rich to open a bottle of Chardonnay. A weeknight meal may be accompanied by his Carneros Chardonnay or a “bigger wine,” Lewis Vineyard Chardonnay, depending on the dish. Red wines may include the Napa Valley Cabernet, Napa Valley Zinfandel or the RHF Reserve Cabernet (RHF indicates “Rutherford, Hillside, Floor” as well as Rich’s initials, “Richard Harvey Frank”). And for special occasions? He’ll begin with the Lady Edythe sparkling, move to the Lewis Vineyard Chardonnay and end the meal with the Winston Hill Bordeaux Blend.

As a gift, Rich laughed and said, “If I really like them, I’ll give a bottle of the Winston Hill Bordeaux Blend or The Patriarch, a bottle that holds special meaning. It’s named for his father who was a veteran in World War II and landed in France during the fourth wave at Omaha Beach. He was in the Battle of the Bulge and a driver for General Patton’s tank. Later, he started his own meat business. Clearly, this man is a true patriot, a member of the Greatest Generation and a reflection of the American dream. Rich Frank is proud of his father and rightly so.

Remember his thoughts about the similarities between making movies and wines? I do. If I could have invested in a movie, I’d have invested in one of Rich Frank’s successes. Now, though, with Rich Frank at the helm and Todd Graff as Winemaker, I’ll invest in the exceptional wines from Frank Family Vineyards for a lucrative, palate pleasing return.

Cheers! ~ Cindy

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