Charles Finkel
American entrepreneur
Charles Finkel (born September 25, 1943) is a designer, entrepreneur, artist and founder of Bon-Vin, Merchant du Vin, and Pike Brewing in Seattle. 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's Celebrated Oatmeal Stout, Organic Chocolate Stout, Imperial Stout and Winter Welcome, Lindemans Cuvée René, and Pike Brewing Company.
Charles has received a myriad of awards. In 2025, for his pioneering efforts and influence, Charles was named to the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame. He was married to Rose Ann Finkel, until her death in 2020.
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.
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