CEOs turned vintners

Former executives are flocking to the vineyards of Napa Valley, where they're vying to produce the next cult California red.

1 of 7

Frank Family Vineyards

Calistoga, Calif.

Owner
Former Walt Disney president Rich Frank purchased the vineyards in 1992, and has since grown the winery to produce 50,000 cases a year. Now the Hollywood heavyweight wants to move into high-end territory; with the help of ABC president Stephen McPherson, Frank Family Vineyards will start selling its first elite vintage this October.

Recent hit
The winery's inaugural stab at cult red stardom is a 2004 cabernet blend called Promise ($250), which it will start selling in October. Rich has successfully built up excitement for the vintage: Promises' 140 cases are already sold out despite the red having not been reviewed.

By Mina Kimes, reporter

NEXT: Vineyard 29

Last updated October 07 2008: 10:43 AM ET

Email | Print |

Digg this story |

RSS

• Winemaking for fun and profit

More Galleries

Meet the new Microsoft Xbox

Microsoft is making a bid to own the living room with its new entertainment device. More

5 worst Internet acquisitions of all time

As well as the 5 best. More

8 ways to hit the road in an RV

Retiring boomers are helping the recreational vehicle industry get back on track. Here are 8 choices for traveling in style. More

About CNNMoney
Content
Magazines
Site Tools
Stay Connected
- My Account
- Mobile Site & Apps
- Facebook
- Twitter
- LinkedIn
- YouTube
- RSS Feeds
- Newsletters
- Tumblr

Market indexes are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer LIBOR Warning: Neither BBA Enterprises Limited, nor the BBA LIBOR Contributor Banks, nor Reuters, can be held liable for any irregularity or inaccuracy of BBA LIBOR. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2013 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer The Dow Jones Indexes^SM are proprietary to and distributed by Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been licensed for use. All content of the Dow Jones Indexes^SM © 2013 is proprietary to Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Chicago Mercantile Association. The market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2013. All rights reserved. Most stock quote data provided by BATS.