He was the first employee Rich Frank hired more than 23 years ago, and over the decades Dennis touched the lives of so many of his guests and colleagues.

The Napa native, touted as a “wine legend” by Robert Mondavi, personally ensured that every visitor to the winery had the best experience possible.

“Very few people achieve a point in life where everyone knows them by their first name. Dennis was one of those people. Whether you called him the Concierge or Mayor of Napa, Dennis was always present with a smile and a story. Sometimes the story would even be true. We will miss our friend Dennis terribly, as will the thousands of guests who have visited him over the years. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Sandy and children,” said Rich Frank.

“Dennis was a legend in the valley, with a larger than life personality and a giant heart who cared about people. He was loved by all of us at Frank Family Vineyards and he will be sadly missed,” said Leslie Frank.

Frank Family winemaker and general manager Todd Graff called Dennis “a great friend and co-worker, whose grass-roots efforts should really be credited with putting Frank Family on the wine map.”