Jim Moore / May 20, 2026
The Finger Lakes wine industry received national attention this month as a regional television feature highlighted the history and impact of Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery during an “Amazing America 250” segment produced by 13WHAM News. The report focused on how the pioneering work of Dr. Konstantin Frank transformed the Finger Lakes into one of the nation’s most respected wine-producing regions.
The television report detailed how Dr. Konstantin Frank, a Ukrainian immigrant and viticulture expert, arrived in New York in the early 1950s determined to prove that European vinifera grapes could survive the cold climate of upstate New York. At the time, many wine experts believed premium European grape varieties such as Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir could not grow successfully in the Northeast. Frank challenged that assumption and successfully planted vinifera vines on the slopes overlooking Keuka Lake in 1958.
The segment emphasized that Frank’s success launched what became known as the “Vinifera Revolution,” fundamentally reshaping winemaking throughout the Finger Lakes and the eastern United States. Today, the winery remains family-owned and is operated by the fourth generation of the Frank family. Winery officials say the estate includes some of the oldest Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir vines in the eastern United States.
The report also highlighted the broader economic and tourism impact of the Finger Lakes wine industry, which has grown dramatically since Frank’s early experiments. What began as a small group of wineries in the 1950s has evolved into one of the country’s premier wine destinations, now home to more than 130 wineries across the Finger Lakes region.
The feature noted that Dr. Frank’s innovations not only elevated New York wine production but also influenced vineyards across the East Coast. Industry publications and wine historians continue to credit him as one of the most important figures in American viticulture
