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Upstate Wineries Worth Visiting: Dr. Frank's

Where: 9749 Middle Rd. [map], Hammondsport, NY, United States, 14840
July 2, 2008 at 4:30 PM | by | Comment (1)

Earlier this summer, we went wine tasting in New York's Finger Lakes region. Not all the wine we had was worth drinking, but these places deserve a stop.

No real trek through the Upstate wine country is complete without a stop at Dr. Konstantin Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars. It's a bit of a drive to get there, but if it weren't for Dr. Frank, there might not be Finger Lakes wine.

Growing up in the Ukraine, the doctor studied methods to grow high-quality vinifera grapes (think Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Riesling) in colder climates. When he later moved to the Finger Lakes, his winery, started in 1962, was the first to grow these European varieties in the area--and the first to prove it could be done.

After Dr. Frank passed away in 1985, his family took over, continuing the production of top quality wines. You'll also find some more esoteric stuff here, like Rkatsiteli (a white), Fleur de Pinot Noir (a non-vintage red) and a Blanc de Blancs (a Champagne-style bubbly).

Related Stories:
· Dr. Konstantin Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars [Official Site]
· Upstate New York Travel Map [Jaunted]

[Photo: Dr. Frank's]



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Major Riesling Winemakes in the Finger Lakes

Dr. Frank was a great pioneer in Eastern US winemaking.  For about 300 years farmers had tried grow European grapes with consistent and repeated failure.  The good doctor was the first to successfully grow vinifera grapes east of the Rocky Mountains.  The winery also happens to still make some of the finest wines in a region which is becoming a world class producers of Rieslings and other varieties.  Well  worth the trip to visit Dr. Franks tasting room.  For more information about Dr. Frank's, Finger Lakes wines, and NY wines in general check out Wines NY
abltech on July 5, 2008 at 11:56 AM #Permalink
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