Leslie Frank worked as a broadcast journalist in Seattle and Los Angeles for 25 years before a chance encounter at a bar in Napa set her on a completely different path. She met her now-husband, Rich Frank, during a weekend getaway to wine country, and the couple split their time between Los Angeles and Napa for several years. Rich, a former president of Disney Studios, originally founded Frank Family Vineyards in 1993. Leslie joined his business full-time in 2011 and her influence has defined the brand’s hospitality development over the past 15 years.
Working in the wine industry may sound far removed from a newsroom, but in practice, Leslie Frank uses many of the same communication skills to manage brand strategy, marketing and hospitality. For nearly a decade, the winery’s world-class Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon portfolio flourished and expanded under her guidance and was acquired by Treasury Wine Estates in 2021. Even after the multi-million dollar auction, Leslie and Richie remained involved in running their namesake brand, particularly in terms of philanthropy.
Leslie’s influence on the winery’s direction and style was indelible; without her influence, they wouldn’t have been able to enter the world of New York Fashion Week as they did this September with designer Jonathan Simkhai. “We poured wine at the Simkhai fashion show and after-party, so this is a new place for the Frank Family,” she laughs. In October, the winery will host a fashion show and luncheon with Simkhai, who created a special wine label for the collaborative release of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Proceeds from the October event and wine sales will be donated to Dress for Success, an organization that empowers women in the workplace. “My good friend Elyse Walker introduced me to Jonathan’s brand,” she said. “We were looking for a design partner for our ‘Dress for Success’ charity event and she recommended Jonathan, so I trusted her introduction.”
When she’s not attending events representing the Frank family or traveling the world with her husband, Frank spends considerable time in Napa’s close-knit local community. Here are her picks for some of the best spots in the Valley, from restaurants and shopping to her skincare regimen, favorite international trips, and her picks from the Chardonnay portfolio.