Fingers Crossed

Most wineries have a cellar, a tasting room and a gift shop. But Fingers Crossed is a converted garage in the suburban town of Oak View, near Ojai in Ventura County, California. It is there that Nicholas and Julia Krunkle produce some of the most talked-about Rhône-style wines currently being made in Santa Barbara County, around 1,900 cases a year, and not a bottle more.

History

The story begins in 2012, when Nick, the son of Manfred Krunkle of the famous Sine Qua Non, decided to stop consulting for restaurants and coffee shops and instead learn how to make wine. He trained under Jim Binns of Andremily and his father, and in 2017 released his first vintage under the name Faethm. This name did not last long: Babcock Winery had already registered a similar trademark, and after a year and a half of legal costs, the Krankles gave in and renamed the project. The new name was taken from the label of their very first wine, which they had already named Fingers Crossed, as a sign of good luck and, in particular, as a sign that they had survived the 2017 Thomas Fire, which came dangerously close to their home.

Julia, a doctor educated at Harvard and the University of California, Los Angeles, an author and TEDx speaker, joined the project as co-winemaker and co-owner from day one. The 2018 vintage was the first under the Fingers Crossed brand and made a big splash: their ‘Off The Record’ Syrah received a perfect 100 points from critic Jeb Dunnuck.

Vineyards

Fingers Crossed does not own its own vineyards. Instead, Nick and Julia source their grapes from a small group of respected growers in Santa Barbara County, primarily from Bien Nacido in the Santa Maria Valley, Stolpman in the Ballard Canyon AVA, and Sanford and Benedict in Sta. Rita Hills (Sta. Rita Hills). These are among the most sought-after sites in the region, and the sources of the grapes may vary slightly from vintage to vintage depending on what is available and what, in the Krankls’ opinion, suits their style that year.

Terroir

Santa Barbara County is unusual among California’s wine regions in that its mountain ranges run east to west rather than north to south, allowing cool Pacific air to flow directly into the valleys. This gives the region one of the longest and coolest growing seasons in California, particularly in areas such as Bien Nacido, where the vines grow on an ancient marine terrace with stony soils of Monterey shale and sandy alluvial loam. The combination of cool temperatures, ocean breezes and well-drained soils helps the grapes develop thick skins, intense concentration and high natural acidity, which is well suited to Rhône varieties.

Grapes

The focus is on Rhône varieties: Syrah and Grenache for red wines, as well as a white blend to complement the range. Mourvèdre is present in small quantities as a component of the blend. This approach reflects Sine Qua Non’s philosophy, where blending fruit from different plots and varieties is used to create complexity, rather than rigidly adhering to a single vineyard formula.

Winemaking

Nick and Julia describe their philosophy as a ‘hands-on approach’: they do almost everything themselves, from grape reception to bottling, with the exception of the harvest period. The winery, fully insulated and equipped with temperature control, tanks and a barrel store, is located in their converted garage. From vintage to vintage, small, carefully considered adjustments are made, but the core approach remains the same.

The harvest itself, says Nick, has the most inevitable influence on what ultimately ends up in the bottle. Every label and every wooden box in which the wine is shipped is adorned with original drawings created by the pair, using different techniques and themes each year. Nothing is repeated.

Wines

Fingers Crossed produces three wines from each vintage: a Syrah-based blend, a Grenache-based blend and a white wine. Each release has a themed name and a completely new illustration, so the bottles from one year bear no resemblance to those of the next.

The Syrah is the flagship range, and it has earned the most attention: two vintages, 2018 and 2022, received perfect scores of 100 points from Jeb Dunnuck.

The wines are sold almost exclusively directly to consumers via a mailing list and are not easy to find anywhere else.