2007-10-19
Tasting Room of the Week:
FRANK FAMILY VINEYARDS
by Charles Neave
There are three things you need to know about Frank Family Vineyards in the northern half of the Napa Valley. First is that it is a little bit (not very much, just a little) off the beaten path, located as it is between Route 29 and the Silverado Trail. Second is that their wines, both still and sparkling, are absolutely first rate, in fact some of the best to be found anywhere in the country, if not the world. And third, you will have an absolutely wonderful time when you visit.
If you don’t walk into the winery in a good mood, it is almost guaranteed that you will walk out laughing and smiling. If you don’t it will certainly not be due to the efforts of the unfailingly hospitable people pouring the wine. If they don’t wake up every day with the mission of making visitors enjoy themselves ringing through their heads, you’d never be able to tell. It really is that kind of a place and it has been for years under the genial, jovial eye of tasting room manager Dennis Zablosky, a person so well-known in the Napa Valley that Robert Mondavi once called him a “wine legend.”
“I want visitors’ memories of the winery to be as much about their experience here as the wines they taste,” he says, and this simple mission statement makes its way across the board to every person with a Frank Family Vineyards shirt on, dispensing tastes from a bottle of excellent wine, all the while giving a history, telling a story, answering questions and, it would seem, having as much fun as the recipients of all of this largesse.
Of course it doesn’t hurt that no less than the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times (among others) have recognized this winery as one of the finest in the world. Then there is the fact that Hollywood legend Richard Frank – who just received an Emmy for lifetime achievement – is at the helm. As chairman of Walt Disney Television, president of Walt Disney Studios for almost a decade and president of the Paramount Television Group he expected perfection. It is no different at the winery that bears his name and it shows.
But while praise for the winery, the wines and for the tasting room may be very contemporary, the history of the winery goes back over a hundred years. It was originally known, when it was built in 1884, as Larkmead Winery. In 1906, the building was refinished with native sandstone from nearby hills and it is considered a prime example of California Wine Country architecture.
If the far-reaching fame – past and present – of this establishment might seem intimidating, a visit will dispel that notion before you even get to the front door. As you turn into the shaded gravel drive you see, to the south of the building, picnic tables and giant oaks where you can relax and enjoy the spectacular vineyard views.
The wines poured change regularly, since the one thing each of their bottlings has in common is that they sell out rapidly. However, it would not be at all unusual for a visitor to try a pair of sparkling wines such as the Reserve (which gets a dosage of 24-year Cognac), the Rouge (when it is in stock) or the Signature Brut, a subtle blend of 60 percent Pinot Noir/40 percent Chardonnay. In still wines it is likely to be a Rutherford Sangiovese, the dark and rich Napa Valley Zin, a bit of the Napa Cabernet with its aromas of cassis, cedar and violets, and their justly famous Chardonnay, a wine that has acquired the well-deserved moniker of “liquid crème brulee.” If it is available and it is offered, jump at the chance to sample the Winston Hill Red Wine or the Reserve Cabernet. You will then realize, like thousands of visitors a year do, that you will be leaving this winery with memories of laughter, a sense of history, and the taste of some of the world’s best wines still lingering, like a long, silky finish, in your memory
Frank Family Vineyards’ tasting room is located at 1091 Larkmead Lane south of Calistoga and is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m daily. For more information or for directions, call them at 1-800-574-9463 or look them up at www.frankfamilyvineyards.com.
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