| History
Take a trip back in time at the Frank Family Vineyards.
First constructed as the Larkmead Winery in 1884,
the building was refinished with native sandstone
from the nearby hills in 1906 and still stands tall
today. The massive stone edifice is considered an
archetype of California’s wine country; it appears
on the National Register of Historical Places and
is listed as a Point of Historical Interest in the
state of California.
Owners Richard Frank and Koerner Rombauer focus their
energies on making superb still wines. The winery
produces Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Sangiovese and several
distinctly different Cabernet Sauvignons. The highly
regarded Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, which is barrel
aged for two and one-half years, is emerging as one
of the most sought after wines in the valley and their
Napa Carneros Vineyards produce some of the finest
Chardonnay available. The Sangiovese, a rising star,
is created entirely from grapes grown on Rich’s
property and the Zinfandel comes from the Brown Vineyards
in the Chiles Valley. Once owned by wine legend Hans
Kornell, the winery originally secured its reputation
with sparkling wines. Five sparkling wines are handcrafted
today in the old building: Brut, Blanc de Blancs,
Blanc de Noirs, occasionally the Rouge and Reserve.
All of these are made in the traditional French methode
champenoise style.
Frank
Family Vineyards wines are produced in small quantities
and currently sold only at the winery and a handful
of select restaurants and wine shops. A visit to the
winery is not complete without a story-filled tour
or at least a walk through the historic building where
the thick, stone walls, high-stacked barrels and rich
bouquet of aging wines create the utmost in winery
ambience. The winery provides separate tasting areas
for sparkling wines and still wines. Just outside,
to the south of the building, visitors are welcome
to sit under the giant oak trees, relax at the wooden
picnic tables and enjoy spectacular vineyard views.
Rich
Frank - Owner
It’s no wonder that Rich Frank, one of Hollywood’s
most creative, vibrant and ingenious players owns
one of Napa Valley’s most unique wineries, Frank
Family Vineyards. In the late 80s, Rich, a long-time
Disney executive couldn’t find the time to get
away for long vacations. Soon he started coming to
Napa on the weekends, realizing it was only a short
plane flight away from Los Angeles and in 1990, he
purchased a home in the Eastern hills of Napa in Rutherford.
Over
dinner one night at one of his favorite restaurants
in Napa, Tra Vigne, Rich commented to the owner that
he really loved the bottle of wine he was drinking.
The owner told Rich who had made it, and the next
day, Rich met Koerner Rombauer at his house. And so
began a decade plus long friendship and business partnership
between Rich Frank and Koerner Rombauer.
As
Rich and Koerner became friends and Koerner began
teaching Rich more about the world of wine, Rich told
Koerner he wanted to get into the wine business, to
which Rombauer immediately shot him down and told
him to keep his day job in Hollywood. Two years later,
in 1992, Frank received a midnight phone call at his
home in Los Angeles from Koerner, telling him that
the Kornell Champagne Cellars on the site of historic
Larkmead Winery was for sale and if there was ever
a time to get into the wine business it was now. Remembering
his earlier conversation with Koerner about staying
out of the wine business, Rich wisely told Koerner
to offer half the asking price, and less than 24 hours
later the showbiz man and the renowned Napa winery
owner were co-owners of the Calistoga winery now known
as Frank Family Vineyards. In 2007, Rich and Connie
Frank purchased Koerner’s partnership share
and now assume total control of Frank Family Vineyards.
Rich’s
passion for Napa and Frank Family Vineyards underscores
a wildly successful long-term career in Hollywood.
Rich was Chairman of Walt Disney Television and Telecommunications
and headed Disney’s syndication arm Buena Vista.
He was the President of Walt Disney Studios for nearly
a decade and also oversaw the development of The Disney
Channel. Prior to his tenure at Disney, Frank was
President of the Paramount Television Group and of
Chris Craft Television and was also one of the founders
of the USA Network and served on their board. Under
Frank’s leadership, television and movie properties
such as "Cheers," "Taxi," "Family
Ties," "Shogun," "Winds of War,"
"Entertainment Tonight," "Golden Girls,"
"Home Improvement," "Ellen," "Regis
and Kathy Lee," "Dead Poet’s Society,"
"Good Morning Vietnam," "Pretty Woman,"
"Father of the Bride," "Aladdin"
and "The Lion King" achieved phenomenal
success.
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