Tom Russ’ Finger Lakes Wine and the Legacy of Dr. Konstantin Frank tells a local story of the “Great American Dream.”  But this is more than a business success story, it exemplifies the best of America, bringing talent and knowledge from other places of he globe to teach us so we are better culturally, technologically and as a community.

The story shows that winemaking is an agricultural science and the role experience brings to the winery and industry.  As the Finger Lakes economy becomes more and more dependent upon craft beverage making, this story is a case-study that teaches us how state and federal investment in agricultural sciences to support the wine industry can result in a stable regional “agriconomy.”  This is something I hope our government representatives read when they evaluate proposals for supporting hops research, promoting NY craft beverage producers and legislative regulatory changes to support these industries.