Judd's Hill -

A Fun, Memorable

and Delicious Experience

by Michelle J. Baker
Looking for a respite from the stampeding crowds in Napa Valley? Head over to Judd’s Hill Winery on Silverado Trail in Napa, where you’ll be greeted like a long-lost cousin of the family.
The family is the Finkelsteins, with son Judd and dad Art teaming up to make some delicious and affordable wines. Art has been making wine in Napa Valley for nearly 30 years, first out of his garage and then as founder and winemaker at Whitehall Lane Winery in St. Helena. The Finkelsteins sold Whitehall Lane in 1988 to focus on their new, small-production winery Judd’s Hill, named after their young son.
Judd’s Hill Winery offers a sit-down tasting in a small conference room with a gorgeous table that Art, a man of many talents, built from white fir. While the table may look formal, the tasting is anything but – most days Hospitality Manager Pat Burke, an easy-going, down-to-earth fellow, will guide you through the tasting while offering insights on the wines, the vineyards, and the Napa Valley.
The wall in the conference room displays bottles from the winery’s other business: the Judd’s Hill MicroCrush, a custom crush operation where private clients can make a barrel or two of wine for themselves, under their own label and the direction of Art and Judd. More than a few tasting room customers have signed up for a custom barrel after sitting before the wall of private label bottles and imagining their name on a label.
The custom crush business has also introduced Judd’s Hill to some great new vineyard sources, as growers have turned to the Finkelsteins to make wine from their grapes to help them market their fruit to other wineries. Art and Judd have taken advantage of this opportunity to source grapes from some great unknown vineyards, such as the Cranston Brothers Vineyard in Lodi. Judd’s Hill now makes a small batch (just 200 cases) of Cranston Brothers Lodi Petite Sirah (2004 vintage), a luscious example of the varietal with dark berry flavors supported by a hint of oak.
Judd’s Hill has a couple of newly released wines perfect for summer. The 2007 Sauvignon Blanc is bright and fruit forward, with a pleasant herbal note. The 2007 Rosé is pure refreshment, with pretty strawberry and watermelon flavors. The 2001 Napa Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, held in the bottle for more than five years before it’s released, is in full stride with deep, layered flavors and a long, delicious finish.
Even if you can’t afford to custom crush a whole barrel at Judd’s Hill, the winery is now offering custom blending seminars, where participants can develop their own blend and leave at the end of the day with three bottles. Call the winery for more information and dates of the blending seminars.
Judd’s Hill Winery is located at 2332 Silverado Trail in Napa. The tasting room is open by appointment (due to county permit requirements) from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m. daily. If you don’t already have an appointment, call (707) 255-2332 and the Judd’s Hill staff will do their best to get you in at your convenience.

Photo: Winemakers Judd and Art Finkelstein

Judd’s Hill Announces Bottle Blending Day Camp

Personalized winemaker-guided blending sessions – Bring home your own Napa Cabernet!

Since 1992, Judd’s Hill Winery has offered customers its MicroCrush service – a custom winemaking option which allows people to walk in and take advantage of the expertise of the winery’s father and son winemaking team – Art and Judd Finkelstein – to create unusual, one-of-a-kind wines, blended exactly to that person’s palate.
The winery is now offering this service on a more frequent basis – available by reservation only 24 hours in advance. The Bottle Blending Day Camp allows a customer to create his or her own Bordeaux blend choosing amongst small-lot Napa Valley wines.
The Bottle Blending Day Camp at Judd’s Hill has several options: $175 per person enables you to take home three finished bottles of wine; $325 per person results in six bottles; $600 is a 12-bottle adventure. The winemakers will guide you through tasting and choosing from four barrel samples (two Cabernet Sauvignons, one Merlot, one Cabernet Franc – all Napa Valley appellation) and then through the blending and hand-bottling processes (including dipping the tops in wax); the process takes about two hours. The “blender” leaves with his or her wine that day. This is an experience intended for one to 12 people per session.
“Our Bottle Blending Day Camp is unique in several respects,” explains Judd Finkelstein. “We know that our relaxed and peaceful atmosphere, backed up by the huge pool of knowledge my father and I have accumulated in our combined 45 years of winemaking, will create a fun, memorable and delicious experience,” he adds.

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