The Frank Family Vineyards

Flo DiBona

© December 10, 2011

Disneyland is the largest tourist attraction in California.  Napa Valley is the second.  On a typical weekend, the roads between Napa, Sonoma, St Helena, and Calistoga are gridlocked with traffic.  There are wine tour buses, limousines and trains that run non-stop across the valley.  We had the pleasure of visiting Napa on a week day recently.  It was a beautiful, mild day in Napa and traffic and crowds were at a dull roar.  The grapes were being harvested and we saw that many wineries were advertising grape-crushing events.

We are not regular wine drinkers and by no means claim any knowledge of the wine-making process, the wine-tasting process, or the proper appreciation for a fine wine.  However, we are students and we learn.  We have been to Napa several times previously.  We are fortunate to be a short drive away and enjoy driving through the vineyards, having a picnic lunch, lunch in one of the small towns, or enjoying a small snack with a tasting at one of the wineries.

The drive into Napa is picture perfect with the rolling hills of vineyards surrounding you as far as the eye can see.  Every once in a while there is a break in the grapevines where a driveway leads to a majestic winery.  There people can sample and buy the wines produced.  On previous Napa trips, we have sampled wine at Chateau Montelena, featured in the motion picture Bottle Shock,  in Calistoga, CA, and Domaine Carneros in Napa, CA.  The vineyards, grounds, and wine-tasting experience at both were impeccable.  We almost felt out of place, these wineries are so majestic, but the staffs at both treated us warmly and made us feel comfortable.  They answered basic questions they likely hear thousands of times and provided rich backgrounds about the wines and the vineyards.

Larkmead Lane

On this beautiful Fall day we decided to visit the Frank Family Vineyards in Calistoga, CA, a charming town about twenty miles from Napa.  The ride up to the vineyard is spectacular with views of passing vineyards and large oaks dappling the road in shade along the way.  Larkmead Lane is a country road cutting through acres of vineyards with a panoramic view of the hills and mountains behind it.

When you arrive at the Frank Family Vineyards, there is a stone building on the roadside.  This is the site of the historic Larkmead Winery, established in 1884.

The name was changed when the Frank family purchased the winery in 1992.  There is a 2010 and 2011 San Francisco Chronicle Best of the Best List banner at the winery entrance.  

Historic Larkmead Winery

As you turn into the parking lot, there is a large red building next to the stone one and an entry arch for guests to pass through.  The vineyards surround the winery but there are signs posted regarding unauthorized access.

The courtyard is planted with flowers and there is a small fountain in it.  On the left is the big red building and to the right is what looks like a yellow farmhouse.  The yellow building contains the wine-tasting rooms.  

Upon entry, a person greets you at the cash register (the cash register at the door is a source of many online review complaints) and explains the tasting packages.  The Frank Family Vineyards currently offers four types of wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon.  There are usually two tiers of tasting available and this was no exception.  A $20 Classic tasting included four samples, one of each of their standard table wines.  A premium tasting was available for $30 where samples of reserve stock were offered.

Winery Entrance

Tasting Room

The first thing that struck us when we entered the tasting building was how loud and noisy it was.  We weren’t part of a weekend crowd and although there were several people there at the time, the rooms seemed to amplify and echo people’s voices.  There was nothing to absorb any sound and it left the rooms feeling uninviting.  The experience is clearly about the wine and not the ambiance as some would argue it should be.

We selected the standard tasting.  After paying, we were given a receipt and directed to another room where a bar was set up against one wall.  We joined a party of four already being served.  The bartender was engaged with the other party and shared with them that the owner was a pleasure to work for, spared no expense, and when something was needed, never hesitated to authorize it.

Frank Family Vineyard wines are not sold in retail outlets.  They are only available at the winery, through The Frank Family Vineyards exclusive clubs, and in select restaurants.  The first wine sample was a 2009 Carneros Napa Valley Chardonnay.  This had a lovely bouquet and was a very nice offering.  What came next was quite unexpected.  The bartender brought over a 2009 Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir next… and poured into the same glass the Chardonnay had been in.  After that, he proceeded to pour the Napa Valley Zinfandel and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in the same glass as well.  We are mere amateurs in the world of wine tasting, but it seems one would not want to contaminate the flavor of one wine with another wine.  We checked the other party’s glasses to be sure it was not just an oversight with us but he was pouring in one glass each for them as well.

The Pinot Noir was very nice and was followed by a 2009 Napa Valley Zinfandel, again, in the same glass as the previous two tastings.  We did not care for the Zinfandel and when the bartender asked what we thought, he agreed with us.  He told us that it was going to be really good in about another year.  We wondered then why it was being served.

The bartender engaged in small talk, telling us it was his Friday and how busy he had been the previous weekend.  He shared with us that on the weekends, the winery averages 600 to 700 visitors a day.  We were glad to only hear about those kinds of crowds.

The last taste in the package was a nice 2008 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  However, at this point, we weren’t sure how much the taste was contaminated by the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel.  The bartender then offered a taste of the Rutherford Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, this time in a separate glass.  This sample was noticeably better than the previous samples and was true to its description.

As we were leaving we asked where the restrooms were and were directed to the big red building we saw on the way in.  The restrooms were clean, well-maintained, energy-efficient, industrial-sized facilities ready to accommodate those hundreds of visitors.  The adjacent parking lot also had ample parking for cars and the caravans of tour buses that routinely visit.

We were very interested in seeing the Frank Family Vineyards because of owner Rich Frank’s involvement in Prospect Park, the company who acquired the licensing rights to daytime serials All My Children and One Life to Live.  We were curious to see Mr Frank’s vision of Napa Valley, especially with his background at Disney.  Online reviews of the vineyard were mixed and it seemed people either loved it or hated it.  Although our visit had its hiccups, it was a charming country winery.  While not majestic like some of the other Napa wineries, The Frank Family Vineyards has a country feel and surrounding idyllic vineyards and countryside that is worth the trip.