The 33rd New York Wine Classic named Dr. Frank Winery both “Winery of the Year”, and producer of the “Best Red Wine” of the 2018 competition, for its 2016 Blaufrankisch (a k a lemberger). This is the third time Dr. Frank Winery has been awarded “Winery of the Year.” In 2012, their 50th anniversary year, they won both the Governor’s Cup and the Winery of the Year award. They also took down Winery of the Year in 2006 and the Governor’s Cup in 1997.
Winery President Fred Frank said, “We’re very excited to receive the Winery of the Year award from the New York Wine Classic. We feel it’s a testament to the team here at Dr. Konstantin Frank and the great range of quality wines we produce. It’s a wonderful honor!”
This year’s competition included 853 New York wines and 71 Hard Ciders from several regions across New York State including Central New York, Finger Lakes, Lake Champlain, Lake Erie, Long Island, Hudson Valley, Niagara Escarpment, Thousand Islands, and Upper Hudson Valley. The awards were based on blind tastings by 21 expert judges from across the country. Judges included prominent wine writers, restaurateurs, retailers, and wine educators. Judging panels determined the initial awards, with top-scoring wines evaluated by all 21 judges for Best of Category and Governor’s Cup awards.
Fourth generation and General Manager Meaghan Frank elaborated, “Our founder, Dr. Konstantin Frank constantly said, ‘Americans deserve only excellent.’ For 56 years we have expanded upon Konstantin’s legacy with an incredible group who has worked tirelessly to produce the best quality wine from our old vine vineyards. My father Fred and I are delighted about this achievement and are so proud of our talented and hardworking team.”
This writer named the 2016 Dr. Frank Blaufrankisch of of his tasting highlights, and the top red, of his recent tasting of Dr. Frank Wines two months ago, in his recent blog post on the wines of Keuka Lake: ” Dr. Frank *Blaufränkisch 2016: Vibrant ruby hue. Nose: black raspberry and boysenberry with a hint of pepper. Palate: ripe spicy plum and vivid red berries, lively acidity but fruit-driven, great fruit/acid balance, just a hint of oak in the background. A great way to showcase a Finger Lakes style for this Austrian grape. $22″ (Note: * rating = “very good.”