As the first woman in the Frank family to lead our winery, Meaghan Frank envisioned the Helm Series as our most premium collection—an homage to the generations of women who have shaped our legacy.
Each wine in this series is a singular expression of excellence, crafted from some of our oldest and most distinguished vineyard sites. With a focus on originality and precision, these wines are selected from our most expressive vineyard blocks and barrels to craft a tribute to the women the wines are named for.
Konstantin and Eugenia Bartle met in 1923 in Selz while Konstantin was working as a schoolteacher. Eugenia always pushed Konstantin to follow his dreams even from the beginning. In 1925 she encouraged Konstantin to finish his degree in agriculture. Through the decades, Engenia worked tirelessly to keep the family together as they survived the Russian Revolution, two World Wars, and ultimately started a new life in America. She devoted herself to their American dream. In the beginning, it was only Eugenia and Konstantin who ran the business. While Konstantin was in the vineyards conducting his research, Eugenia welcomed guests, created culinary treats, and kept the newly formed winery strong.
Our Eugenia Dry Riesling honors her commitment to our Keuka farm. This Riesling comes from a single plot on our Keuka estate vineyards planted in 1968. Soils in this plot have higher slate content creating a wine with a distinct Keuka Lake minerality. Pairs perfectly with all things seafood but rich enough to handle sausage and pork.
In honor of Eugenia, this wine embodies a quiet elegance. It is linear and precise, highlighted by the high content of shale in her namesake block giving the wine a laser mineral focus.
Margrit was born in Hamburg, Germany and immigrated to America shortly after her 25th birthday. Soon after arriving in New York, she gained a reputation as a highly sought-after seamstress creating dresses for fashion models and wealthy individuals. She met Willy Frank in 1956 and they began to build their life together, ultimately purchasing Chateau Frank in 1982 and moving to the Finger Lakes.
Margrit worked side-by-side with her husband Willy. She would entertain many important guests in their home and delight them with her excellent cooking and warm personality. After Willy had passed away, her regular evening routine after the winery closed was to walk the property, pick up any litter, water all the plants, and make sure everything was tidied for the next day. Even in her last days, she would say to her granddaughter Meaghan, “Sweetheart, how was business today?”
Our Margrit Dry Riesling honors her warmth, enthusiasm, and passion that she brought to our family winery. This Riesling comes from a single block on our Seneca estate vineyard. The warmer site yields a more expressive and generous character in the Riesling, embodying the spirit of Margrit.
Konstantin and Eugenia’s second child, Hilda, would immigrate to New York City with the family in 1952 and within a few months, she would meet her future husband Walter Volz. Hilda and Walter would be the first family members to join Konstantin and Eugenia in the 1960s. They left stable careers in New Jersey for the uncertainty of the winery startup. Walter worked hard and eventually became Konstantin’s vineyard manager. Hilda and Eugenia had a very strong bond and cherished each other’s company on the farm. She took over one of the most important aspects of running the business – the finances and bookkeeping. She was often found in the vineyards during harvest picking grapes by hand and made grape pies for family and friends.
Our Hilda Chardonnay honors her leap of faith taken in the early days when joining an uncertain future. She was known for her work ethic and her unrelenting commitment to her family. This Chardonnay comes from the Volz Vineyard which was planted in 1985 by her husband Walter. After Walter’s passing, this vineyard was managed by their son, Eric Volz, who retired as Vineyard Manager after 45 years in 2024. The single vineyard block of Chardonnay is a barrel selection whereby we taste each barrel and evaluate it in the blend. The selected barrels from this special block all have a restrained boldness and intensity, highlighting Hilda’s fierce loyalty for her family.
As with her siblings Willy and Hilda, Lena grew up in the Odesa, Ukraine while her father Konstantin was tasked with the rebuilding of the Troubetskoy vineyards. Lena, as Kostantin’s youngest daughter, would often accompany her father on his rounds through the estates and on hunting and fishing trips. Lena was to keep a sharp eye on her father and to collect his hat, coat, shoes or other items that he was prone to leave behind. She recalled once wading into the Dnieper River to retrieve ducks that her father shot. Her wild and adventurous spirit has kept with her throughout her life. She was the only one of Konstantin’s children to return numerous times to Ukraine to keep up the family relationships with those still living there.
Our Lena Reserve honors her adventurous spirit and her incredible storytelling abilities. A barrel selection of all the different grape varieties we produce honors Lena’s commitment to unify the Frank family across continents, even in times of uncertainty and strife.
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