Todd Graff, Senior Winemaker and General Manager, is pleased to announce the addition of Alicia Sylvester to the Frank Family team as Winemaker. In her role, Alicia will help Graff oversee all aspects of wine production at Frank Family Vineyards, from the vineyards to the cellar and the lab. Alicia will support Frank Family’s goal of producing estate driven wines from some of Napa Valley’s finest vineyard sites.
“Alicia joins Frank Family Vineyards with more than a decade of global winemaking experience working across a broad array of vineyards and wine styles,” says Graff. “She brings an immense passion for winemaking and an infectious ‘can-do anything’ attitude to our team and we’re lucky to have her.”
Prior to joining Frank Family Vineyards, Alicia spent nearly 10 years at Foley Family Wines. She was an Assistant Winemaker at Lancaster Estate in Sonoma’s Alexander Valley, then Head Winemaker at Merus Wines based in St. Helena, Napa Valley. Both of these roles honed her skills and knowledge of working with Cabernet Sauvignon. Most recently, she was Head Winemaker at Banshee Wines in Sonoma, where she worked with site-specific cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
“I have long admired Frank Family Vineyards and am excited to have the mentorship of longtime winemaker Todd Graff,” says Sylvester. “His dedication over the past two decades has been instrumental in shaping Frank Family’s reputation as a world-class producer and I look forward to working alongside him for many vintages to come.”
Alicia earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture business with a minor in wine and viticulture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Upon graduation, inspired by the diverse wine regions around the world, she worked harvests internationally, gaining invaluable knowledge from her experience in regions such as Australia, Italy, South Africa and Argentina. In 2013, Alicia returned to the U.S. and eagerly jumped into harvest at Chateau Montelena, where she proudly became the first woman to receive the “golden shovel” award since 1975, shoveling a total of 165 tons of grape must throughout harvest. The following year, she became a Chardonnay harvest enologist at Sonoma-Cutrer, focusing on crafting high-quality, terroir-driven Chardonnays. She later joined Foley Family Wines while simultaneously earning her wine certificate from University of California, Davis.
Born and raised in California, Alicia’s love for the state’s agriculture is rooted in her upbringing on her family’s almond farm and 20-acre Zinfandel vineyard in the Central Valley. Her early exposure to farming and involvement in 4-H fostered a strong work ethic and helped shape her career path to where she is now.
