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A Conversation with Fred Frank, the owner of Dr. Konstantin Frank
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Eric Volz and Fred Frank
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Fred Frank is a third-generation vintner, one of a few throughout the United States. He has a degree in agriculture and economics from Cornell, and learned the business side of the wine industry working for Banfi Distributors. He studied viticulture and winemaking at the Geisenheim Research Institution located in Geisenheim, Germany.
Fred began by explaining that his family’s philosophy has always been to grow only vinifera grapes, use traditional European methods for making wine, and have the best vineyard management (led by his cousin Eric Volz) to grow the best grapes. He also added that at Dr. Frank he has an international team of winemakers and each is responsible for certain varieties of grapes.
Jean-Michel Jussiaume, Enology Degree, Ecole de Briace in the Loire Valley, France, oversees most of the French varietals. The aromatic wines such as Riesling and Gewurztraminer come under Toby Kitzer and Peter Weiss. In charge of Chateau Frank sparkling wines is cellar expert, Eric Bauman, a champagne specialist, who spent eight years learning his trade at “J” Champagne House in California. Mark Veraguth, a graduate of U.C. Davis is the senior winemaker who oversees al opeations.
Fred also mentioned that he felt that the reason that Dr. Frank wines are constantly winning awards and medals can be attributed not only to their wine making philosophy but also their being the only multi-generational, family-owned winery in the Finger Lakes that carries a pride of making great wine and a legacy to be lived up to. “Thanks to my grandfather, Dr Konstantin Frank, we have some of the oldest wines in the Finger Lakes” (note: In the 1960’s Dr Frank was the first winery in this country to plant Pinot Gris).All Finger Lake winemakers agree that the weather is one of the biggest challenge they face. At Dr. Frank they devote much time and effort in developing clones and rootstock that can withstand upper New York State winters.
Making wine in the Finger Lakes carries many challenges but Fred believes these challenges make for better grape growing and better wine making. When the weather is basically the same year after year, a winemaker can get complacent.
He equates wine making in this region to making wine in northern Europe. The weather in both places is a huge factor every year which makes for inconsistent vintages. In both wine regions, Mother Nature supplies all the water to the vineyards and artificial irrigation is not practiced.
Fred’s son, Kyle Konstantin Frank, has been working in the vineyards throughout his teen years and Fred feels confident that he will continue the family legacy, taking the company into its fourth generation. Fred has already begun expansion to meet Kyle’s adulthood by purchasing 63 acres of land in Hector, NY that will take many years to mature into prime producers.
More Riesling and another aromatic grape called Grüner Veltliner* is being planted in the Hector vineyards.
*To learn more about Grüner Veltliner read the article on this grape in the inaugural edition of WineTracks Magazine or online at www.winetracksmag.com and click on Wine Tidbits.
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Sherwood Deutsch, A Wine Icon
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Deutsch graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo with a degree in pharmacy. He worked for six years at Strong Memorial Hospital and part-time at other area pharmacies. By the age of 27, he had saved $10,000 and opened his own pharmacy called Sherwood Drugs. He opened a 480-square-foot liquor store near his pharmacy after six years of listening to people ask, “Is there a liquor store around here?” When his liquor business became so exciting, he sold his pharmacy and expanded the liquor store.
After spending time visiting various liquor stores in major cities, Deutsch realized that the future road to success was in the fine wine business. In 1971, he moved into a 17,500-square-foot spot that was originally an A & P. This was the beginning of Century Liquor and over the years it became one of the leading wine stores in all of New York State famous for its Bordeaux and Burgundy selection.
In March of 2007, Sherwood Deutsch sold Century Liquor and Wines to Nicole Wegman and she moved the liquor license to Pittsford Plaza in Pittsford, NY. At 74 years young, Deutsch had no intentions of retiring and joined the new Century as Vice President of Fine Wines. His nephew, Michael Misch, also joined the new store as Director of Wine Operations.
I sat down with Sherwood Deutsch and Michael Misch and discussed the future of the wine industry. Both agreed that it will continue to grow. Wine’s health benefits have changed the lifestyles of the alcohol drinking consumers. More and more travelers devote their travels around food and wine. The new generation of wine drinkers have become more wine savvy by searching the internet. The internet also opens up a whole new market for sales and information.
When I asked them about the New York’s tough state regulations on alcohol, Deutsch and Misch agreed that they offer challenges that help them make better decisions to overcome them. As far as wine in grocery stores, they feel the legislature has to make that decision. When asked why he decided to join the new Century store, Deutsch replied, “This is the store I dreamed about but it never materialized.”
WineTracks Magazine copyright 2007 All Rights Reserved