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Winemaker and General Manager Todd Graff is behind Frank Family’s reputation as a world-class producer of Napa Valley Cabernet and Chardonnay and our Napa Green certification for both land and winery. Prior to joining the family in 2003, Todd's career began across the globe, where he worked at the steep slate vineyards of Weingut Klaus Schweicher in Mosel, Germany, the sandy soils of Château Yon-Figeac in St.-Émilion, France, and the decomposed granite and sandstone loam soils of Arrowfield Estate in Australia’s Hunter Valley, among others.

Todd honed his craft and grew his technical skills throughout wineries in Napa Valley, including his time as Assistant Winemaker at Stag’s Leap Winery, as Assistant Winemaker and Vineyard Manager at Schramsberg Vineyards, as Sparkling Winemaker at Cordoniu in Napa (now Artesa), and as Winemaker at Sonoma Creek Winery. He played an essential role in our winery’s steady growth over the past 19 vintages including our recognization as “Winery of the Year” by the Connoisseur’s Guide to California Wine in both 2012 and 2017. In 2020, Todd was named “Napa Winemaker of the Year” by the North Bay Business Journal as a result of his positive contributions to the wine industry.

Alicia Sylvester joined the Frank Family Vineyards team in 2024, bringing with her more than a decade of global winemaking experience, a “can-do anything” attitude and a magnetic sense of humor. She collaborates closely with longtime Senior Winemaker & General Manager Todd Graff to craft the winery’s portfolio of world-class Napa Valley wines. A California native, Alicia’s deep 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. Alicia earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture business with a minor in wine and viticulture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Inspired by travel and 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 and became a Chardonnay harvest enologist at Sonoma-Cutrer the following year. She later joined Foley Family Wines while simultaneously earning her wine certificate from University of California, Davis, and spent the past ten years honing her abilities working with an extensive array of vineyards and wine styles.

The first time Armando walked into a winery as an intern two decades ago, he fell in love with the aroma of the oak barrels. His fate in the wine industry was sealed from then on. Armando started in the cellar at Rombauer Vineyards and Pine Ridge Vineyards before joining Frank Family Vineyards in February 1998. Recycling glass and stacking pallets on the bottling line were some of Armando’s initial duties on the Frank Family winemaking team. But two decades later he now manages the entire cellar production staff. From grapes in the vineyard to wine in the bottle, Armando enjoys every aspect of winemaking, especially under Todd Graff’s leadership. Armando accredits Todd with teaching him how to make some of the best wines, his favorite of which is the 2004 Winston Hill.