|
 Art Finkelstein was literally making "garage wines" 20 years before the term was coined to describe the output of small, home wine makers who move heaven and earth — and their cars — to make wine.
"We were living in Los Angles in the 70's and we started coming to Napa Valley and Sonoma as tourists, says Art. "We'd come as often as we could, whenever we had free time," adds Bunnie Finkelstein, Art's wife. They have a sweet way of finishing each other's sentences. They've been together long enough to know how the other thinks. And as they work together in the wine business, they also know what the other will say about a given wine, too.
"I became fascinated with wine and wine making and started making it in my garage in Santa Monica. I made Muscat, Zinfandel, Chardonnay — whatever I could get my hands on," recalls Art. "Then I realized that I had one of the few hobbies from which one could actually make a living, so I decided to change careers."
In 1979, Art and Bunnie and Art's brother Alan and his wife Charlene, pooled their spare change and bought 26 acres in Rutherford, Napa Valley and built a winery — Whitehall Lane.
People thought Art was nuts, giving up a lucrative career digging holes (architecture) for a less lucrative career digging holes (for rootstock, for wells, for trellis posts).
And Bunnie was giving up a career teaching English as a Second Language to run all aspects of a winery office — sales, marketing, distribution. There were periods when the couple wondered what they had wandered into. Art took a few extension courses at UC Davis to hone his winemaking skills.
"Making wine has always seemed to me to be a spiritual thing," says Art. It amazes me the way nature, or God, or whatever you call the Force, created a beverage that almost makes itself. You really don't have to do too much to get grape juice to ferment… and it kind of stops on its own, too. Yes, you have to give it some guidance along the way, but you can do it without hitting the road, getting on planes, or going to an office. I love that aspect of winemaking."
Applying his winemaking talents, Art started winning all sorts of critical acclaim for his wines at Whitehall Lane. His recipe for success called for making rich, elegant wines with finesse and selling them at a fair price. When others were charging $85 for their top end Cabernets in Rutherford and Oakville, Whitehall Lane was charging $40 for wines that were better made, more sophisticated, richer in middle palate weight and sensually more appealing.
Art and Bunnie had a great run with Whitehall but when brother Alan decided to retire, Art and Bunnie figured they would also sell and find something less ambitious to do.
To a once-mad architect, what could possibly be more satisfying — and less ambitious — than… to do it all over again! Build a house, build a winery.
Art and Bunnie tackled both on a site in Conn Valley, and moved into their new home/winery in 1990. The house is 600 feet off the valley floor and in honor of their son, Judd, they've named the winery Judd's Hill. Art is hopeful that son Judd and fiancé Holly Jacobson will join him and Bunnie in running the family business. Judd is already a winemaker in his own right, making a series of tasty reds under the Judd label.
The views out the large living room windows are as breathtaking
as the wines that Art is making here. And once again, America
has a Finkelstein-source of fairly priced, extremely well made,
elegant wines. Lucky America.
1998 Judd's Hill Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Forget all that nonsense you read — that "all the
'98 Cabs" from California are substandard. We object,
Your Honor! And in our defense submit, in the case of
America VS herd-mentality wine writing, this Judd's Hill
Cab as Exhibit A; a beautiful wine with a sweet nose and
a hint of European sophistication. The wine has a striking
attack, a bright middle palate, mostly flavored with chocolate
and has a pleasant finish. What more can you ask from
a wine that costs under $33? |
ilovenapa.com Rating:
$33 |
| |
1998 Judd's Hill Knight's Valley, Summers Ranch, Merlot
This is one of those quintessential Merlots. Lots of upfront
fruit and a tinge of weediness on the finish. Art Finkelstein
has made Merlot with the fruit from the Summers Ranch
for 20 consecutive years; by now the guy gets it. The
wine has a gorgeous nose, suitable weight on the middle
palate and has minerally tastes, leather and a touch of
cocoa on the swallow. All for $30. |
ilovenapa.com Rating:
$30 |
| |
1998 Judd's Hill Napa Valley, Juliana Vineyard, Merlot
This wine has a sweeter nose and more complexity than the Summers Ranch Merlot. Lots of cherry on the front and lots of chewy stuff on the back; a beguiling wine that starts out with sweet, ripe cherries on the first sip — and with fresh plum tartness — then there's a succession of flavors, followed by an almost claret-like finish. Clearly this wine needs some time to settle down, give up its adolescent ways and behave like the scion of a respected wine family, of which it is.
|
ilovenapa.com Rating:
$30 |
| |
|
|
