Frank Family Founder, Leslie Miller Frank’s aesthetic is apparent in everything we do at the winery. “I felt it was only fitting to name our new hospitality space after the person who has made such a positive impact on our winery,” says Liam Gearity, Frank Family’s Director of Hospitality. Her vision for hospitality, her impeccable eye for design, and her exceptional talent for storytelling are all instilled into the essence of everything Frank Family Vineyards is and strives to be. This new hospitality and events space is the pinnacle of her commitment to the success of Frank Family, and she has been the driving force behind bringing the barn to life.
Much ink has been put to paper in the last 30 years about Rich Frank’s journey from Brooklyn to Hollywood and then to Napa, but Leslie’s personal journey is equally inspiring, and not to be overlooked. Before Leslie joined the wine industry, she had a successful career in broadcast journalism where she covered everything from 9/11 to Hurricane Katrina. After leaving her home in Ontario, Canada at the age of 17 to attend journalism school, Leslie cut her teeth on the Canadian media circuit before setting her sites on the U.S. market and a station in Seattle, where she spent six years as the main anchor and clinched an Emmy Award for Outstanding News Anchor. She ultimately landed in Los Angeles, where she reported for nearly a decade at the number one rated news station, KABC, covering politics, crime, weather calamities, as well as interviewing some of the biggest starts in Hollywood on the red carpet.
After more than two decades working as a reporter and anchor where she shared some of the most impactful stories and events of recent American history, transitioning to the wine industry came very naturally to Leslie.
“As a career journalist, I was familiar with telling other people’s stories – so I took what I knew best – people and storytelling and I applied that experience to what we do at Frank Family Vineyards by shaping the story of the winery and integrating it into the framework of our hospitality,” says Leslie. “Working alongside Rich has taught me so much about the business of wine, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to leave a lasting impression on Frank Family for years to come.”
Truly, Leslie has woven her own identity into the very fabric of Frank Family, as well as the greater community of Napa Valley. A board member of numerous charitable organizations, her willingness to lend her celebrity to worthy causes and drive awareness and funds for the causes close to her heart, have inspired countless others to follow suit, and our schools, hospitals, and communities are all the better for it.
Leslie continues to change the landscape of Napa Valley for the better, alongside Rich, and the Miller House stands as a symbol of the transformation Frank Family Vineyards has experienced under her astute and gracious care. The Miller House is destined to become one of Napa Valley’s premier landmarks and will be cherished by visitors for many years to come. We look forward to sharing this incredible new space with our members and guests for new elevated experiences, private tastings, and winery events starting spring 2023!
