The Crown Jewel of the New York Finger Lakes: Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery
The Crown Jewel of the New York Finger Lakes: Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery
An interview with Meaghan Frank, Vice President
The wines of Dr. Konstantin Frank have been a favorite of mine for a decade. I visited the winery in 2019 in New York’s beautiful Finger Lakes. Subsequently I sailed on an AMA Waterways River Boat tour of the Rhine River along with CEO, Fred Frank, and many members of the Dr. Frank wine club where we compared the Dr. Frank varietal wines to those of the local German and Alsace regions. The Dr. Frank wines came out strong in comparison. In 2023 Konstantin Frank Winery was selected by Wine & Spirits Magazine as one of the Top 100 Wineries.
During my 2019 visit to the winery, I was struck by the winery’s emphasis on hospitality. Not surprisingly this past July, 2023 USAToday voted Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery the #3 Readers’ Choice in the US for “Best Wine Tasting Rooms.” See below for tips on visiting the Finger Lakes wine region.
In an interview this month with Vice President, Meaghan Frank, we discussed the unique heritage of the Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery and the enhanced wine experiences offered at the tasting rooms. Meaghan also made suggestions for perfect summer wine pairings with recipes to match. I sampled some of the suggested wines and made additional recommendations.
About Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery
Located in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, Dr. Frank Konstantin Winery is the New York State winery pioneer famous for first planting European/International wine grapes in the state. It is also the NY State’s most awarded winery. Meaghan Frank, Vice President and the fourth generation to work on her family’s estate, has been a stimulus for change in the business and my candidate for wine tourism stardom.
“The winery has a very interesting history beginning with my grandfather, who grew up in Odessa, Ukraine. He made his first wine at 15. He earned his Ph.D. in Viticulture….He managed a large estate in the Ukraine in a cold climate….They actually had to bury the vines to protect them from the cold. It prepared him [for the climates] of the Finger Lakes. They came to the US to escape World War II…He eventually came to a research station [now Cornell Agritech]…He wanted to prove that it was not too cold in the Finger Lakes to produce vinifera [European wine grape species]….because it was actually colder in Odessa. He set out to prove everyone wrong. His secret was grafting the vinifera vines to American root stocks…He felt America gave him a second chance, so he said ,‘I will make an excellent wine.’ He felt it was his duty to share his knowledge of quality winemaking across the US, and he started the American Wine Society in 1967.” – Meaghan Frank, Vice President, Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery
Please click on the YouTube link for the full interview.
Wine Experiences at Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery
“From our humble beginnings my grandparents welcomed people into their home. We understand that the Finger Lakes region is a bustling area. Our winery and other local producers welcome everyone with open arms. Almost all the wineries are family-owned with the main season May to October. [For instance] The last 9 years we have offered the ‘1886 Wine Experience’ that caters to those with a deeper interest and features a tour and tasting. We start with a tour of the vineyard and winery, then we do a seated educational wine and food pairing flight with choices depending on the season, changing monthly -from budbreak to harvest seasons. [Reservations Required.] We also have more laid-back experiences for those who want to relax and stay outside in our gardens. We also have a variety of events occurring annually with our Wine Club and some larger events: The Ukrainian Summer Kitchen Event in July, which made donations to those in need in Ukraine. We have a harvest event, Austrian Heuriger event, celebrating “this year’s wine” with NYC Austrian Chef Erwin Schrottner of Café Katja.” - – Meaghan Frank, Vice President, Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery
Please click on the YouTube link for the full interview.
Recommended Summer Wine Pairings with Recipes from Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery
At the end of the Part II interview Meaghan Frank suggested several summer wine and food pairings. See below.
*Zucchini Nests and Gruner Veltliner wine (an Austrian varietal planted in the Seneca Lake vineyards
Zucchini Nest Recipe from EatingWell
2023 Dr. Konstantin Frank Gruner Veltliner, Finger Lakes, NY $19
*Vietnamese Spring Rolls paired with 2021 Eugenia Dry Riesling
Vietnamese Spring Rolls Recipe from Recipetineats
2021 Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery Eugenia Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes, NY $35
*Watermelon salad paired with Celebre Sparkling Rosé – Traditional Method, 55% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay, 11% Pinot Meunier – traditional Champagne grapes.
Watermelon and Feta Salad recipe from Cooking/NY Times
Dr. Konstantin Frank Celebre Sparkling Rosé, NV, Finger Lakes NY $25 – Best of Tasting
Finger Lakes Wine Region Travel Recommendations.
Getting there:
By Plane: Rochester International Airport, 45 min to 1 hour drive to eastern Finger Lakes
By Train: Amtrak Maple Leaf Train or Empire Service Train stops in Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse
Keuka Lake
Sip: Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery, Amity Coffee Co., Steuben Brewing
Eat on the Water: Lakeside Restaurant, Snug Harbor
Eat in town: Timber Stone Grill, Seneca Farms (ice cream)
Explore: Keuka Lake Outlet Trail, Book a flight on Finger Lakes Sea Planes,
Seneca Lake
Sip: Linden Social Club, Two Goats Brewing
Eat: Ports Café, Tabora Farms and Winery
Explore: Watkins Glen State Park, Geneva Waterfront Trail
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Restaurants of Napa Valley
Book Review: Big Macs and Burgundy
2024 Texas Wine Auction, Johnson City, Texas
I loved this article. The story of Dr. Konstantin Frank was fascinating - especially that he came from Odessa, Ukraine - given all that is going on in the world - and how the colder climate there gave him insights into producing wine in the Finger Lakes region of New York state. The determination it must have taken for him to leave his homeland and come to the US to escape conditions during WWII and then to start his own winery in his early 60s is truly remarkable. I also liked hearing about Meagan's journey to do some things outside the family business before making her decision to join it.