Dr. Konstantin Frank Wines

This month’s meeting of the San Diego Chapter of the American Wine Society (AWS) was focused on the wines of Dr. Konstantin Frank. This tasting was organized in concert with the 50^th Anniversary of the AWS, to commemorate the very 1^st meeting that took place in Western New York at the vineyard of Dr. Konstantin Frank on Keuka Lake on October 7, 1967.

We would be tasking wines from Dr. Konstantin Frank produced in the Finger Lakes Region. The wines of this area are renowned for their bright or live mouthfeel, strong fruit & terroir characteristics. I am admittedly a HUGE fan of dry Riesling & wines with a similar style. Ever since I found the Finger Lakes on a research assignment, I had wanted to try wines that represented this region. I got to have 6 great examples this afternoon.

The meeting started as others of the past, with old business then new business discussed. We found hosts for the next 2 meetings and got an update from Brad Bruce on the San Diego Wine Guild. The first pour of this tasting was a 2016 Dry Riesling (link). Exactly as I had hoped, the acidity was dancing all over my tongue and my nose was in love. Aww, a good glass of cool Riesling to start is the perfect start.

The next wine up was a varietal I only had encountered in books, the Rkatsiteli grape. This was an interesting pour, as the 2016 Rkatsiteli (link) was very refreshing & brought to mind a perfect pairing for a chicken salad. The 2016 Gewurztraminer (link) was a great example of the varietal characteristics. Very aromatic, its perfumed bouquet was delightful.

This lead to my favorite of the afternoon, wine #4, Celebre (link). This non-vintage Sparkling Riesling was all the creamy notes of a Champagne with the bright flavor notes of an aged Riesling. From the fine strings of bubbles to the underlying minerality, this wine was delightful.

Samples 5 & 6 were both red wines. The 2015 Lemburger (link) was our 5^th pour of the afternoon and the nose on this leapt from the glass to my nose. The palate was muted by comparison, but by no means a mellow wine with a fine expression of terroir. The final wine of the tasting was the 2014 Saperavi (link), the closest wine we had to an old-world style. This wine had lots of smoky characteristics and notes commonly associated with aged French wines.

The meeting was concluded, our notes were compared and we all found that we had enjoyed the Sparkling wine a little above all others. We ordered a bottle for our member party later this year, and I for 1 can’t wait to have another taste of this spectacular wine. I am excited by this tasting, as it makes me want to explore more of the Finger Lakes, NY region for hidden gems in a bottle.