The first planting of grape vines at Markko Vineyard.

Pictured left to right: William "Bill" Konnerth (1911-2005) and Leon Adams (1905-1995) at Markko Vineyard.

Leon Adams was a well-known author of books, articles and pamphlets about North American wine and the founder of the Wine Institute, a trade organization that represents California's wine industry.

Bill Konnerth, co-founder of Pennsylvania's Presque Isle Wine Cellars, was known to give talks on winemaking while touring Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.

Dr. Frank (1899-1985) was considered by many as the “pioneer of vinifera growers in the East. This independent man, whose spirit and perseverance was legendary among those of us who knew him. He was a man not easily forgotten, a man of great conviction and purpose, whose contribution to the research and development of vinifera led to an explosion of wineries in the eastern United States”.

Source: Markko Vineyard, The Gadding Vine and Wine List, Fall 1985

Gary Woodbury of Woodbury Vineyards in Dunkirk, NY checking sugar levels with a refractometer.

A follower of the methods of Dr. Konstantin FranK, Gary Woodbury planted his first vinifera vines in 1970 and opened a winery in 1980. By the mid 1980s the family had planted over 100 acres of grapes. The winery is still in operation.

John Stavisky (right) pictured next to Arnulf Esterer (left) at an industry event.

John Stavisky was very active in the New York chapter of the American Wine Society and held the position of wine logistics. John and his wife Anne Stavisky received the Outstanding Member Award from the society in 1997.

The Blessing of the Vines is an annual symbolic celebration, based on an ancient European tradition, that the winery hosts every year. The event begins with prayer and song and ends in celebration with food and wine in the woods that surrounds the winery.

Gene Spaziani (right), then president of the American Wine Society, presents the organization’s annual award of merit to Arnulf Esterer (left) at the American Wine Society’s national conference held in Pittsburgh, PA.

The Award of Merit, the organization’s highest honor, recognizes substantial and meritorious contributions to the wine industry.

As noted in the Fall 1997 of Markko Vineyard’s Gadding Vine:

“This award is gratefully accepted as recognition of the next generation of Dr. Frank cooperators in vinifera winegrowing. He gave the leadership and inspiration we all needed….Now the next generation picks up the challenge to Dr. Frank’s mission to develop, and perfect the eastern appellations to that ‘Americans…drink the best’.”

Gene Spaziani, writer for New England Wine Gazette, WineMaker Magazine, and the American Wine Society Journal, co-wrote The Home Winemaker's Companion in 2000 with Ed Halloran.

Tim Hubbard, co-founder of Markko Vineyard, testing a sample of wine from a barrel in the winery’s cellar.

The device shown on top of the barrel is a fermentation lock attached to a bung. Still used in wine production, the lock allows carbon dioxide to escape during fermentation without letting air in and the bung, a stopper, provides an airtight seal. Air exposure for any significant period of time will cause wine spoilage.

Tim Hubbard of Markko Vineyard photographed next to the winery’s stainless steel tanks.

Industry leaders and wine producers, such as French oenologist Émile Peynaud and the legendary Bordeaux producer Château Haut-Brion, popularized the use of stainless steel tanks in the early 1960s.

Stainless steel tanks are very effective at controlling fermentation temperature. They also aid in the prevention of oxidation and enable the winemaker to monitor the fermentation process. Unlike oak barrels, stainless steel containers do not add any characteristics to the wine, which makes them valuable not only for fermentation, but also as holding tanks.

Early winery photo of Arnulf Esterer posed next to the winery sign that hangs near the location’s front entrance.