After several years of mitigating the effect of drought, heat, and wildfires, 2023 has provided Frank Family Winemaker, Todd Graff with some much-needed relief in the form of replenishing rain and a relatively cool growing season. This winter brought an historic 70 inches of rain that refilled most reservoirs and lakes to full capacity and took Napa Valley out of the drought. Come budbreak this spring, the moisture in the soil had been restored, thereby reducing our need for irrigation throughout the summer months. This combined with cooler weather has slowed the development of the grapes, wh ..read more

Sparkling wine has been a part of Frank Family’s story story since before the winery was founded. Once home to the first sparkling wine house in California, Frank Family Vineyards honors our building’s history by continuing to hand-craft four sparkling wines using the traditional French champenoise method in a range of styles, from our classic Blanc de Blancs and Pinot Noir based Rouge to our ever-so popular Brut Rosé and late disgorged tête de cuvée, named Lady Edythe.  Frank Family employs the labor-intensive méthode champenoise to produce each of our sparkling wines, a patient process ..read more

To honor Frank Family’s 30th anniversary, we crafted a late disgorged sparkling rosé to commemorate the journey that began with Founders Rich and Leslie Frank three decades ago. Named, Lady Edythe, in honor of our matriarch, Edythe Frank, this wine is worthy to be classified as our tête de cuvée, essentially the best of our best; and with only 1,000 bottles produced for this special occasion, this wine is all the more precious and rare. The Lady Edythe Brut Rosé comes from the standout 2015 vintage and is a tribute to Frank Family’s sparkling wine legacy dating back to the late 1950s when ..read more

Frank Family Vineyards has exploded in popularity since its founding by former Disney Studios President, Rich Frank nearly three decades ago. But while our tagline has fittingly become “Great Wine Happens Every Day,” our success didn’t happen overnight. What started as a weekend retreat for Rich became a fruitful winemaking venture, thanks hugely in part to the commitment and dedication of our longtime Winemaker and General Manager Todd Graff. Petaluma-born and globally trained, Todd has been at the helm of our winery since 2003 and has just produced his 20th vintage for us this harvest. WINE ..read more

This harvest season marked Winemaker, Todd Graff’s 20th vintage at Frank Family Vineyards. The 2022 harvest was prosperous but not without its challenges. In both the vineyard and in the cellar, our team adapted quickly to Mother Nature’s whimsy, from a heat wave in September to rain in October. But with the wines now safely tucked away in their barrels, it’s time to reflect on this memorable harvest.  An Early Start Harvest 2022 was a challenging yet rewarding year. The 2022 growing season began two weeks earlier than usual with bud break first occurring on February 28 in our ..read more

This 2022 harvest season marks Winemaker Todd Graff’s 20th vintage at Frank Family Vineyards. Much as changed at the winery since he came on board in the early aughts, but his passion and commitment to making the best wine possible has remain all but unchanged. We’ve interviewed our Petaluma-born and globally trained winemaker in celebration of this incredible milestone and invite you to read on to get to know him a little better! Q: What’s your favorite part about working at Frank Family? A: It’s the total package – the people, the guests, the seasons, the vineyards, and not to mention, the w ..read more

The growing season began with big rain storms at the end of Fall 2021, which filled our reservoirs and kicked off the 2022 vintage with a consistent water supply. A few areas of Napa were affected by late Spring frosts and hailstorms, but thankfully Frank Family did not see any notable damage to our vineyards throughout Rutherford, Carneros, or Capell Valley. Summer has brought warm, sunny days, but no extreme heat. Forecasted increased temperatures throughout August and into September are expected to help the fruit ripen beautifully, and Frank Family Winemaker Todd Graff anticipates an early ..read more

Since 2012, Frank Family has sourced Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes from Sangiacomo Family Vineyards, whose ranches span throughout Carneros, Sonoma Coast, Petaluma Gap, and Sonoma Valley. There is a waiting list of renowned winemakers who hope to one day receive fruit from their highly sought-after vineyards and Frank Family considers ourselves grateful to be among the lucky few.  Sangiacomo fruit is blended into three distinct wines in the Frank Family portfolio including our appellation-designate Carneros Chardonnay and Carneros Pinot Noir as well as our wine club exclusive, single v ..read more

Frank Family Vineyards is proud to announce that Napa Valley Life Magazine has named our winery the “Best Tasting Room” and our long-term Winemaker, Todd Graff “Best Local Winemaker” in the 2022 Best of Napa Valley Reader’s Choice Awards. Napa Valley Life Magazine is the premier lifestyle magazine dedicated to those living in and visiting the Napa Valley. This year, a record number of readers voted in the Best of Napa Valley Reader’s Choice Awards. “Rich Frank has always emphasized that our visitor experiences must be on par with the great wines we produce, so it is very gratifying to receive ..read more

Last summer, Winemaker Todd Graff trekked up to the remote Chiles Valley, a slender sub-appellation of Napa Valley within the Vaca Mountains, to meet with Phil Sunseri, fourth generation of the Nichelini Family, one of the oldest grape growing families in Napa Valley. Over glasses of Frank Family Zinfandel, the two discussed Phil’s ancestral past as well as the future of grape growing. Since the early 2000s, Frank Family has sourced high-quality Zinfandel grapes from Sunseri Vineyards, whose land has some of the oldest history in the region. As Napa Valley continues to evolve and become more C ..read more