Charles Finkel (born September 25, 1943) is a designer, entrepreneur, artist and founder of Bon-Vin, Merchant du Vin, and The Pike Brewing Company in Seattle, Washington. Charles began marketing wines from small family owned California wineries in the 1970s and was the first to market the wines of Washington state throughout the country. In an article in Wines and Vines Magazine in 1970, Finkel was the first to use the term "boutique wines" to describe small, family owned wines of quality.
He was the first importer to introduce Belgian beer along with craft beers from England, Scotland, Belgium, France, Norway, and Germany to America through Merchant du Vin. He designed the labels for beers including Ayinger Celebrator, Samuel Smith Celebrated Oatmeal Stout, Organic Chocolate Stout, Imperial Stout and Winter Welcome, Lindeman's Cuvée René, and Pike Brewing Company.
In 2011, Draft Magazine named Charles as one of 10 Beer Innovators. He is married to Rose Ann Finkel, Vice President of Pike Brewing Company.
Early life
Charles was born into a Jewish family in Flushing, Queens, New York in 1943 and moved with his family to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma in 1947. His father worked for American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma. From 1962 thru 1966 he studied Design and marketing at University of Oklahoma. He was first introduced to wineries in Livermore, California and the Napa valley in 1963. During his senior year at the University of Tulsa, he managed Mayo Meadows Liquor Store.
Wine industry
In 1966 Finkel moved to New York to work for Monsieur Henri, a wine importer and wholesaler in NY and visited the wine growing regions in Spain, France, Germany and Portugal. Finkel met European wine merchants and vineyard owners who visited Monsieur Henri in NY. At age 25, he was named "salesmen of the year". In 1967 Monsieur Henri appointed him S.W. sales manager. Charles relocated to Houston, where he met his wife, Rose Ann (née Martin).
In 1969 he founded his own wine importing company, Bon-Vin, Inc, with offices in Tulsa and Houston. The Houston Chronicle in September 1971 called Charles and his business partner, Robert Conley, the "whiz kids of the wine world." Bon-Vin imported to America the wines of Chalonaise including Chateau de Chamirey, Mercurey, Clos Solomon Givry, Le Vieux Chateau Montagny and Veuve Amba sparkling Rully. In Bordeaux, they represented Descas Père et Fils, and pétits châteaux including Caronne Ste. Gemmme-Haut Medoc, Caillon-Grand Cru Classe Barsac, Milon- Pauillac, Lescours, Laniote, La Serre and Le Chatelet-St. Emilion, Junayme- Fronsac, Millet- Graves, La Rame- St. Croix du Mont, and Bourseau-Lalalnde de Pomerol. Vineyards from other French regions included Huet-Vouvray, La Noe- Muscadet, Maucoil and St. Pierre- Chateauneuf du Pape, Jan Bourdy-Jura, Bodegas Matines Laquesta-Rioja, Delafoce–Porto.
In 1973 Bon-Vin acquired Robert Philips Wine Importing Company of Stamford, Connecticut adding the wines of George and Ludwig Schmidt-Rhine wines, Blondel-Marchal-Champagne, J. Vidal Fleury-Rhone and Henriques and Henriques-Madiera.
In 1969 Bon-Vin became the exclusive agent for Ste. Michelle, now known as Château Ste. Michelle, in Washington state. During this time Charles convinced the winery to change the appellation from "American" to "Washington State" and added a back label to bottles that shows the latitude of Washington State in comparison to the European wine growing regions.
In 1970 Bon-Vin and Finkel began representing emerging California wineries in Napa Valley, Sonoma, and Mendocino counties including Dry Creek, Z.D., Sutter Home, Ficklin, Kenwood, and Fetzer.
In 1974 Bon-Vin was acquired by U.S. Tobacco as part of their purchase of American Wine Growers, which included Ste. Michelle. Charles and Rose Ann moved to Seattle, Washington where Finkel was Vice President of Marketing at Château Ste. Michelle, part of the team that built the château in Woodinville, Washington.
Craft beer
Importing
In 1978 Finkel founded Merchant du Vin, a wine and beer importing company, based in Seattle, Washington. He was the exclusive agent for states west of the Mississippi for D.G. Yuengling brewery of Pottsville, Pennsylvania. As the exclusive U.S. importer, Merchant du Vin acted as the sole United States agent for English breweries Samuel Smith Brewery and Melbourn Bros; German breweries Brauerei Ayinger and Pinkus Müller and Belgian breweries Orval, Lindemans and Rodenbach.