Bright, fresh, crisp pure grüner play from the master of Finger Lakes winemaking.
Grüner veltliner is the major white grape of Austria if unfamiliar to many Americans. This effort is somewhat fruitier and slightly less acidic than a standard Austrian effort, but still delivers the sharpness and food friendly qualities you desire from a grüner. Superb value. No. 5 ranking on Wine Enthusiast’s global best buy list. $14-16
Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery is located in the Finger Lakes region of northwestern New York State. No small surprise, the principals in the business are graduates Cornell University, which has been one of the universities at the forefront of the grape and wine industry for more than a century and is located in the Finger Lakes region, just south of Cayuga Lake. Frederic Frank has been the winery’s president since 1993. He worked for Banfi and held several other prestigious positions at CALS—College of Agricultural Sciences—at Cornell and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Megan Frank is the vice president, also a Cornell graduate with post-graduate degrees from the University of Adelaide, Australia, and Cornell. Barbara Frank, yet another Cornell grad, is the consulting sparkling winemaker. She earned a masters from California State-Fresno in enology.
Dr. Konstantin Frank (1899-1985) was a pioneering winemaker in the Finger Lakes region. Born in Odessa, Ukraine, he received his PhD in viticulture from the Odessa Polytechnic Institute. His thesis explored techniques for growing wine grapes in cold climates. After working for a time in Soviet Georgia, he came to the United States in 1951. He spoke nine languages, but English was not one of them. He worked as a dishwasher to save enough money to move his family to the Cornell University Geneva Experiment Station in 1953. His work there demonstrated grafting techniques to overcome challenges of cold weather. He founded Dr. Konstantin’s Vinifera Wine Cellars on Keuka Lake in 1962, finding special success with riesling and gewürztraminer. His work revolutionized winemaking in New York and the Eastern United States.
Dr. Konstantin Frank Grüner Veltliner 2023: Pale gold color; green apple, lime, grapefruit, lemon, apricot, melon, honeysuckle, guava, white pepper, saline minerality on the nose and palate.
Dry; no tannins; sharp acidity. Light-plus body. Wine is 100% grüner veltliner from Konstantin Frank’s Seneca Estate Vineyard, which holds New York Sustainable Winegrowing certification. A mild winter engendered an early bud break, then a severe freeze in May reduced yields but concentrated fruit. Grapes de-stemmed, whole-cluster pressed. Fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel with no malolactic fermentation, thus preserving freshness and bright acidity. 12% ABV
Pairing—Light seafood, grilled or seared white fish, halibut, cod, trout; poached salmon, grilled shrimp, simple shellfish dishes. Roast or grilled chicken, turkey, pork tenderloin, schnitzel-style breaded cutlets. Difficult vegetables—asparagus, artichokes, broccoli, endive. Spicy dishes, green curry, pad Thai, stir-fried or steamed Chinese dishes with ginger and garlic; tandoori-style chicken, mild Indian curries. Cheese—Fresh goat cheese, chèvre; young, mild cow-milk cheese, brie, havarti, young gouda; mild Alpine-style, comté, gruyère.
