TRIP REPORT
CHAMPAGNE DREAMS
Why sparkling wine? For one thing, Willy Frank wanted to carve his own path and did not want to compete with his father, as Konstantin Frank produced only still wines, said Barbara Frank at a seminar during the event. Willy also saw the area’ s untapped potential for sparking wine.
That’ s because the Finger Lakes is one of the few regions in North America with the natural attributes to support high-quality, traditional-method sparkling wine.“ Our cool climate is crucial to producing sparkling wines of this caliber,” said Barbara Frank. The growing conditions mirror those of Champagne, with long seasons that preserve acidity and freshness.
The beauty of the Finger Lakes is not only the slopes and deep lakes but also the soil, which allows for acidity, said Eric Bauman, who has led Dr. Konstantin Frank’ s sparkling wine program since 2005. Glacial till and shale-rich soils, particularly around Keuka Lake, contribute minerality and structure, attributes that enable the wines to age gracefully and maintain vibrancy over time.
Another advantage of the company’ s sparklers: pinot meunier.“ Dr. Frank was the first to plant pinot meunier in the Finger Lakes— maybe even in New York,” said Bauman. The grape shows promise in that it keeps the acidity and fresh vibrant flavors in the wines, he added.
From left, Sparkling Winemaker Eric Bauman, Consulting Sparkling Winemaker Barbara Frank and Meaghan Frank, vice president of Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery.
“ My father described pinot meunier as the secret sauce,” said Barbara Frank.“ It does add an extra layer of complexity.”
Over time the winery has been dialing back the dosage, or the sugar added to sparkling wine just before corking, to balance the acidity.“ As it gets warmer and the grapes are ripening more fully, we don’ t need as much dosage,” said Barbara Frank.
The company’ s sparking wines range in price from about $ 25 to $ 40, which is on the lower end for traditional-method sparklers, noted Meaghan Frank.“ We had a substantial price increase a few years ago and it didn’ t really affect sales,” she said.
In addition to Bauman, the team includes head winemaker Mark Veraguth and winemaker Sarah Gummoe. Dr. Konstantin Frank’ s wines, which today include the riesling, gruner veltliner, cabernet franc and saperavi grape varietals, are now available in more than 30 states. The winery draws 30,000 visitors each year, providing a sizable boost for the local economy. • www. beveragedynamics. com Fall 2025 • Beverage Dynamics 13