Frank Family Vineyards

Take a trip back in time at the Frank Family Vineyards. First constructed as the Historic 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.

The family focuses their energies on making superb still wines. The winery produces Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Pinot Noir, Petite Syrah and several distinctively 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 Carneros Vineyards produced some of the finest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir available. The Sangiovese, a rising star, is created entirely from grapes grown on Rich’s Winston Hill property, and the Zinfandel comes from the Pope & Chiles Valley.

Once owned by wine legend Hans Kornell, the winery originally secured its reputation with sparkling wines. Five sparkling wines continue to be handcrafted today in the old building: Brut, Blanc de Blancs, Brut Rosé and occasionally the Rouge and Reserve. All of these are made in the traditional French method champenoise style.

Frank Family Vineyards Reserve wines are produced in small quantities and currently only sold at the winery and a handful of selected 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 winery ambience. The winery provides beautiful tasting rooms for its guests in the restored 70 year old Craftsman House. Just outside to the south of the building, visitors are welcome to sit under the giant 100 year old Elm trees, relax at the wooden picnic tables and enjoy the spectacular vineyard views.

Winston Hill

Rising nearly 500 feet above the valley floor in the prestigious Rutherford viticultural appellation, Winston Hill is located along the east side of the Napa Valley along the Vaca Mountain range. Winston Hill is located on owner Rich Frank’s personal estate. 
The soil consists of well-drained, volcanic deposits and sandstone. Due to its southwest exposure, Winston Hill has a high radiant value. Typical warm summer days give way to cool nights with soft mountain breezes. The vineyard has an average rainfall of 24-36 inches per year.

Approximately 20 acres of vines were planted on Winston Hill starting in1991. Cabernet Sauvignon is the primary variety, along with small amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Sangiovese. Through site specific vineyard management, several clonal selections are matched with the appropriate rootstocks. Extensive hand labor balances the vine canopy and maintains the yields to produce rich and concentrated wines.

Winston Hill produces its namesake wine and the flagship for Frank Family Vineyards along with being the foundation for our Rutherford Reserve and Napa Valley Sangiovese.

Lewis Vineyard

Located in the heart of Napa, Carneros near the shores of San Pablo Bay, Lewis Vineyards is 138 acres of gently rolling hills. The vineyard is named after Rich’s oldest grandson, Lewis. The predominant maritime influence of the Pacific Ocean creates the cool temperature, fog and wind that make Carneros ideally suited for the growing of world class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. Lewis Vineyard consists primarily of shallow dense clay loam soils and receives only 20 inches of rainfall annually.

Overall the maritime influence and the restricting soils result in extremely low yields, producing grapes with strong character and balanced acidity. The practice of cool climate viticulture and the planting of small cluster Dijon clones contribute to an intensity that is unmatched in the Chardonnay and Reserve Pinot Noir of Lewis Vineyards.

S&J Vineyard

Adding to Frank Family’s vineyard diversity are 75 acres planted to the S&J Vineyard, located east of the Vaca Mountain range in Napa’s Capell Valley. The vineyard, purchased in 2000, is named for Darryl’s kids, Stella and Jeremy, and is planted to mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, along with small quantities of Petite Sirah and Zinfandel. Meticulous soil and microclimate studies were executed before the development of this vineyard.

The soils are fertile, well-drained, clay loam-based, reminiscent of the Rutherford Bench. The cold nights balanced with warm days ensure the long, even ripening of Cabernet Sauvignon.