Judd’s Hill Winery – A True Family Affair

by Charles Neave
Winemaking at Judd’s Hill in the Napa Valley really is a family affair, one shared by Judd Finkelstein and his father, Art, an architect who not only founded the original winery, but designed it as well.
These days Art (who began making wine in his garage more than three decades ago) and Judd use their considerable talents, energies and artistic sensibilities on two projects, the first being Judd’s Hill, the second, which they began in 1992, is Judd’s Hill MicroCrush, which makes barrels (or a single barrel) of wine for private clients who put their own label on the bottles.
And as to their brand new winery and tasting room? “Our new winery is fantastic. It’s small, but certainly roomier than my folk’s hillside home where we’d been making wine since 1989,” Judd said. “Now that we’re on the Silverado Trail, I enjoy being more accessible for folks who want to visit us.”
As to their wines? The stars are the ultra-premium and lovingly hand-crafted Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Petite Sirah that bear the Judd’s Hill label. Production is approximately 3,000 cases per year.
“One of the reasons our Cabernet has become so coveted by people who love wine is its elegant style, a style that showcases the true nature of the Cabernet grape,” Judd said. “It’s an approachable wine – in fact we make all of wines to be approachable upon release – yet they still have enough depth so that they can be cellared and aged for years.
“A big part of our winemaking philosophy is to let the fruit be the showcase. Our style is to have wines with true varietal characteristics with just a nuance of the oak underlying it all. Wine is a naturally occurring phenomenon and I feel that we just guide it along in an artful way and should be mindful not to manipulate it too much so that its fruit of origin is lost.”
In his time away from the winery, Judd is a noted ukulele virtuoso, something that, in addition to making wine, has become another one of his passions over the years. So how do the two mix? “As far as music and wine go ... I really do view winemaking as an art form. Sure, there’s a good chunk of science involved, but as I stated above, it takes an artful approach to craft the wine into a delightful and elegant drink. My music is another outlet for my artistic energy, a different way to express some creativity.”
To taste some of this creativity come alive in the bottle, a visit to that new winery is in order. It is located just north of the city of Napa at 2332 Silverado Trail. They are open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. but tastings, tours and retail sales are by appointment only. As they say, “Because we are small, calling ahead to make an appointment is very important so that we can be here to greet you!” For more information, call (707) 255-2332 or look on the Internet at www.juddshill.com.

Related Information

• Judd's Hill