Rose Ann Finkel

Marriage

In 1968, a mutual friend introduced Rose Ann to Charles Finkel. He worked for a New York wine importer, and they met at a wine tasting he led at a new Houston wine bar.

They got engaged after a month, married six months later at the Shamrock Hilton Hotel, and honeymooned in Mexico City. When they married, she earned $100 more per month than he did and handled their finances, yet could not be the sole signer on a credit card. They raised two children.

Community involvement

She was on the board of the Weizmann Institute of Science and judged the Slow Food Awards at the biannual Salone del Gusto in Turin, Italy. She was one of the founders of the Slow Food movement in Seattle, an organization dedicated to using and sharing locally sourced ingredients with the community. She was a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier, an international organization of women in the hospitality industry, and contributed the section on beer for the book Cooking with Les Dames d'Escoffier: At Home with the Women Who Shape the Way We Eat and Drink.

A noted philanthropist, she worked on community events, including Pike's Women in Beer, an annual event that recognizes women-owned and women-led breweries, distilleries, wineries and cideries, as well as restaurants, chocolatiers and cheesemakers. Proceeds go to Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and Hawaiian Islands. After her death, contributions were made in her name to charities such as The Weizmann Institute of Science, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research, Planned Parenthood, The Southern Poverty Law Center, and College Success Foundation.

Professional life

Rose Ann and Charles were partners in several businesses; they said she had the business sense and he was the designer. They co-founded their first business, Bon-Vin, in 1969, which specialized in imported, boutique wine.

Her work as a dental hygienist supported the company. In 1974, the owners of Chateau Ste. Michelle's bought Bon-Vin.

Charles became the sales and marketing director for the winery, located in Woodinville, Washington, and the couple moved to Seattle. In 1977, Rose Ann and two friends opened Truffles, a small specialty grocery store in the Laurelhurst neighborhood of Seattle that sold imported and domestic beer, corned beef from Katz Deli in New York, and cheesecakes. They claimed it was the first store in the U.S. to import fresh Perigord truffles. Truffles was named one of the top 5 specialty stores in the U.S. by Time magazine.

In 1978, the Finkels started Merchant du Vin, today known as one of the world's largest craft beer importers but originally focused on importing wine. They are credited with bringing craft beers from England, Germany and Belgium to American drinkers. Rose Ann was the Chief Operating Officer, vice president of marketing, and educated restaurant owners about beer and food pairings. She also named Germany's famous Ayinger Celebrator double bock beer.

The Finkels opened Pike Place Brewery in 1989 at 1421 Western Avenue. When it opened it was the third in Seattle and one of only a few independent microbreweries in the state. In 1996, the business moved to its present location on First Avenue and the name was shortened to Pike Brewing; they also added the restaurant. Rose Ann had many responsibilities in the company: business operations, negotiating deals, leadership, and supply management.

In 1997, they sold the brewery. In 2006, they bought Pike Brewing back and Rose Ann became the vice-president. They purchased Liberty Malt Supply, a retail supplier for home winemakers and homebrewers, from John Farias in 1989.