This is the first of a two-part series on Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery and other wineries in the Finger Lakes region of New York state.
After over 35 years visiting wineries across the United States and Europe and writing about wine, an important point resonates for me. The best and most memorable experiences often come from casual, genuine moments rather than from visiting “luxury” wineries with predetermined itineraries and expensive, trendy wines.
I was fortunate enough to learn this lesson early on when my wife and I met Konstantin Frank.
In August 1985, we decided to celebrate our first wedding anniversary with a visit to vineyards along the Finger Lakes of central New York. It was within driving distance and, more importantly, we could not afford a trip to Europe.
Neither of us had visited a wine growing region, but my wife’s late brother, Jim Munsch (aka, Father Nathan) recommended visiting Frank’s winery in Hammondsport, New York. There, European grape varieties all the wine “experts” had said were impossible to grow in a severe cold weather climate were thriving.
Since GPS directions did not exist, we had only a vague idea of how to find the winery next to Keuka Lake. As we neared our destination, we topped a hill and saw steep hillsides cascading dramatically down to the breathtakingly beautiful lake sparkling below us in bright sunshine.
Rows of well-tended grapevines appeared before we turned down Middle Road. We saw no fancy buildings, no large signs and no large parking lot filled with tour buses and expensive cars. Rather, a small roadside sign directed us to the Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars.
As we pulled in and parked next to a modest house, an older gentleman with wispy white hair and a welcoming smile sat quietly on the porch and beckoned us over. To our pleasant surprise, he introduced himself as Konstantin Frank. We asked about growing European grapes in upstate New York, and off he went speaking clear English with an Eastern European accent and a twinkle in his eyes.
In the next 20 minutes or so, he regaled us with stories about how he obtained a Ph.D. in viticulture at an agricultural college in Odessa, Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union). He survived the ravages of the World War I and the Russian Revolution (when he fought against the Bolsheviks), and in the 1930s he oversaw grape growing at a massive 35,000-acre vineyard controlled by the government.
In doing so, Frank studied and mastered techniques for successful wine growing in the cold Ukrainian climate. As a person of Germanic descent, he found himself ostracized by Stalin’s government as War War II unfolded. So he and his wife, Eugenia, and their three children fled to Austria.
He was forced to leave behind the career that he loved. After the war, the nearly penniless family emigrated to New York City in 1951 even though they spoke no English.
Frank initially washed dishes before he moved his family upstate to the Finger Lakes. At that time, local vintners grew mainly native grape varieties such as Concord and French hybrids such as Vidal. They produced mostly sweet, undistinguished and mediocre wines that garnered little attention outside the area. Frank was determined to show that they could and should do better.
European grapevines
Shortly after, another European, Charles Fournier of Gold Seal Winery, provided him with a big break. Fournier, who had come from a prestigious Champagne house, hoped to grow vitis vinifera grape varieties such as chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier on a commercial basis next to Keuka Lake. The plan was to make high-quality sparkling wines in the Eastern U.S.
He turned to Frank, perhaps the only person who thought it was possible to fulfill Fournier’s dream. By 1958, they had succeeded for three main reasons, as Frank told us.
First, on his recommendation, they bought North American grapevine rootstocks from cold climate areas such as Quebec. They then grafted European vines on the native rootstocks and planted the vines with the graft “bump” near the ground. The idea was to help the vines resist both frigid temperatures and destructive pests such as the phylloxera louse.
Second, they planted near Keuka, a deep lake that typically does not completely freeze over in winter. Frank predicted this would help prevent extended deep freezes that could kill the less winter-hardy European vines.
Thirdly, he advised plowing up soil in the late fall to cover the graft “bump” near the bottom of the vines to protect the rootstocks from freezing. The process is referred to as “hilling up.” In late spring, the rootstocks are uncovered.
Lo and behold, it worked. Fournier was thrilled, and Frank was vindicated. But he had ambitious plans for his own vineyard. He saved money to buy 180 acres next to the lake.
On his own
A scientist at heart, Frank created a sort of living test laboratory by planting over 60 European grape varieties, including pinot noir and the obscure duo of saperavi and rkatsiteli. By 1962, he had launched Vinifera Wine Cellars and released his first commercial wines.
It was an audacious move for the 63-year-old winemaker. Assisted by his son, Willibald (aka Willy) Frank, Frank’s high-quality vitis vinifera wines — especially the estate rieslings — spread along the East Coast. As he proudly told us, the White House even served his wines during a visit from Queen Elizabeth.
After Frank completed his stories, he autographed a program before giving one more piece of sage advice: He recommended joining the local chapter of the American Wine Society, an organization that he founded with his colleagues in 1967 to enhance consumer knowledge and wine appreciation.
At the time, the AWS Pittsburgh chapter featured inspiring members such the late Shirley Martin, an award-winning amateur winemaker and entrepreneur. Another member, the late Doug Morehead, who had studied with Frank, was an influential professional winegrower and winemaker near Erie.
In the 1980s, the AWS also included articulate and entertaining wine educators such as the late John Eld and the late Alton Long. Most importantly, its ethos, as inspired by Frank, encourages humility and lifelong learning about the mysteries and pleasures of drinking and making wine. Today, the American Wine Society has over 120 chapters.
Wine education
Before we parted, Frank encouraged us to go the winery’s nearby tasting room to try wines with his son and buy “an educational case.” We happily followed his advice and took home bottles of delicious off-dry, dry and late-harvest rieslings. We even bought a bottle of rkatsiteli, made from a white-skinned vitis vinifera grape planted widely in Ukraine to make dry wines.
Shortly after our visit, we learned that Konstantin Frank passed away in September 1985.
Although the news saddened us, we felt privileged and happy to have heard firsthand the stories, knowledge and wisdom that he generously imparted. Frank did not know us from any of the other proverbial “faces in the crowd,” yet he took time with us and made an indelible impression.
Beginning in late 1985, Willy Frank picked up the mantle and worked tirelessly to transform the winery into a viable commercial concern with wider recognition. He spread the word about the quality of Finger Lakes vitis vinifera wines across the country. He also added a highly successful and critically acclaimed line of sparkling wines made from chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier with the authentic, labor-intensive méthode champenoise used in France’s Champagne region.
By the time of Willy’s passing in 2006, the wines of Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery were distributed in over 30 states, including Pennsylvania.
After I became a wine writer, over the years I regularly recommended wines from Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery in many columns. The high quality of the wines remained constant. They are quintessential food-friendly bottles offered at extremely reasonable prices.
Even so, until this past August, my wife and I had not returned to the winery, so we looked forward to our “sentimental journey” with high anticipation. We were not disappointed as we learned how the current generations are carrying on Frank’s legacy of excellence.
In part 2, Dave DeSimone takes a tasting tour of wines made today at the Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery.