This Mother’s Day we are excited to offer the 2011 vintage of our reserve sparkling wine, named Lady Edythe, in honor of Rich Frank’s mother, Edythe Frank. “She was a meticulous woman,” says Rich, reminiscing on life growing up with his mom. “Our joke was that if you got up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, she would have made your bed before you returned.” Our reserve sparkling wine captures the spirit of a woman whose strength and elegance defined her, and shaped young Rich Frank into the person he would become.
Rich’s father Hy Frank first met Edythe on a blind date In Brooklyn, New York, set up by mutual friends. Upon the evening’s end, Hy offered to escort Edythe home, only to discover that they lived in the same apartment building, on the same floor. Marriage followed soon after, and as America’s involvement in the War intensified, Hy responded to the call to protect American values by enlisting in the United States Army.
While Hy was overseas serving our country during World War II, Edythe worked at Macy’s in New York to help make ends meet, leaving young Rich in the care of his grandparents while she worked in the City. Upon his return to the States, Edythe and Hy embarked on their version of the American Dream: Hy ran the meatpacking business, leaving for work at 3 in the morning every day, and Edythe ran the home. Family was everything in the Frank household, and Edythe’s role as caretaker extended to Hy’s parents as they aged.
Their home welcomed many visitors and was a staple for Hy’s weekly Gin Rummy game, in large part due to Edythe’s sense of hospitality and great cooking. She was very involved in the community, and when her dear friend Zelda Grossburg passed away due to complications with Leukemia, Edythe created a charitable foundation to help others suffering from this disease. She was also President of the local Women’s League, raising money in the neighborhood by collecting used goods throughout the year and hosting an annual rummage sale, to support cerebral palsy.
“As kids, my brother Billy and I would work at the sale, carrying furniture back to people’s homes,” says Rich. “My dad strictly forbade us from ever taking a tip for this, always stressing that this was for people in need.” In their world of Bayside, New York, Edythe and Hy raised two sons, provided for them, and instilled in them the values of hard work, humility, education, and family. All values that we aspire to every day in the work we do here at the winery.
We honor the memory of this remarkable woman with the wine that bears her name, and so much of Edythe’s character can be found in a glass of our reserve sparkling wine: elegant and sophisticated, graceful yet powerful and possessing a depth of character and complexity that deserves recognition. We hope you enjoy this wonderful wine, and share it with the matriarchs in your life!
