(December 15, 2020; Calistoga, Calif.)—Rich and Leslie Frank, proprietors of Napa Valley-based Frank Family Vineyards, announced today that they will donate $25,000 to the James Beard Foundation’s Open for Good campaign. Thanks to the winery’s recent #FrankForACause campaign, they raised much needed funds in an effort to provide critical support and resources to assist independent restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign’s goal is to allow restaurants to remain a vital part of their communities and build the capacity to be stronger, more equitable and more sustainable in thelong-term. Frank Family Vineyards announced the donation on YouTube and across social media today with a statement from Leslie Frank which can be viewed here.
Throughout the month of November, Frank Family Vineyards committed 15% of all direct sales of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon to the fundraising efforts. “It is the holiday season, so while we know so many of our customers would be ordering cabernet sauvignon, we also know that so many restaurants are struggling to stay open. Donating to this cause seems like a win-win for everyone,” says proprietor Leslie Frank. “We are humbled to have played a part in helping these well-deserving sommeliers, chefs and restaurant purveyors across the nation.”
Since Frank Family’s first Frank for a Cause campaign benefiting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation in 2018, the winery has donated close to $100,000 to deserving charities across the nation; including Feeding America, Autism Speaks, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and more. The Franks are planning new charitable initiatives for 2021 and are excited to continue to give back.
Launched earlier this year in response to COVID-19, the James Beard Foundation Open for Good Campaign is aimed at providing immediate financial support and resources to help independent restaurants forced to close during the pandemic. The program has already disbursed over $4.7 million to recipients around the country since April. The current focus of the Open for Good Campaign is the James Beard Foundation’s Food & Beverage Investment Fund for Black and Indigenous Americans, which provides grants to food and beverage businesses owned by Black and Indigenous Americans to help rebuild an independent restaurant industry that is more equitable as it reopens post-pandemic.
“It’s been an incredibly challenging year for the independent food and beverage industry which employs over 11 million people nationwide,” said Kris Moon, Chief Operating Officer of the James Beard Foundation. “After the pandemic hit, the Foundation quickly directed all of our resource to helping the industry to survive this crisis. We are only able to continue that work thanks to the generous contributions of partners such as Frank Family Vineyards. We are incredibly grateful for their support as we work to help keep the industry remain Open for Good.”
About Frank Family Vineyards
Frank Family Vineyards was founded in 1992 by former Disney Studios president Rich Frank. First constructed as the Historic Larkmead Winery in 1884, the stone building on property is the third oldest in Napa and appears on the national Register of Historical Places. Today, Frank Family owns over 380 acres of vineyards in the Napa Valley, and in 2015 received Napa Green certifications for both the land and winery. Frank Family’s reputation for having the friendliest hospitality in Napa Valley has fans flocking to the tasting room on Larkmead Lane, which has been named “Best Napa Winery” by the Bay Area A-List for an unprecedented eight years in a row, making it one of the most popular tasting rooms in wine country. Its 2014 Patriarch was recently ranked #5 in California Cabernet by Vivino. Regular tastings of Frank Family’s limited-production reserve and sparkling wines are priced at $50 per person and are offered seven days a week between 10am and 5pm. Reservations are strongly recommended for visits from Monday through Thursday and are required for visits on Friday through Sunday. Frank Family’s Napa Valley Chardonnay ($38), Pinot Noir ($38), Zinfandel ($38) and Cabernet Sauvignon ($58) are distributed nationally.
For more information about Frank Family Vineyards, please visit www.
