Allgemein
23.10.2024
Interview mit Nik Krankl - Fingers Crossed
Im Rahmen unseres Krankl-Schwerpunkts haben wir die nächste Generation zum Interview gebeten: Nikolas und Julia Krankl treten mit ihrem Weingut 'Fingers Crossed' in sehr große Fussstapfen, ist doch Nik's Vater niemand geringerer als die aus Österreich stammende kalifornische Winzerlegende Manfred Krankl, der mit seinem Kultweingut Sine Qua Non seit Jahrzehnten weltweit für Furore sorgt.
Nikolas keltert seit 2017 seine eigenen Weine und braucht sich wahrlich nicht hinter denen seines Vater zu verstecken. Wir waren von Anfang an von seinen Weinen begeistert und vor kurzem haben wir Nik ein paar Fragen gestellt, ob ihm das Weinmachen in die Wiege gelegt wurde, wie er den Unterschied zu den Weinen seines Vaters festmacht und was er am Winzer-Dasein besonders liebt. Viel Spaß beim Lesen!
WEITERFÜHRENDE INFORMATIONEN
-> Video "Alles Krankl!" - Clemens & Julius erklären alle Projekte der Familie Krankl
-> Aktuelle Krankl-Selektion mit 320 Flaschen & 26 OHKs
-> Subskription aktuelle Jahrgänge aus dem Krankl-Universe
INTERVIEW MIT NIK KRANKL - OKTOBER 2024
When did you realize that you want to become a winemaker yourself?
I did not catch the "winemaking bug " until after Julia and I sold our coffee shop in Boston, MA. After Julia graduated from Harvard, we moved back west to my hometown in California so that she could do her medical residency at UCLA. I began spending more time with my father; drinking wines, riding motorcycles, and telling jokes. In 2012, we purchased a home in Oak View only a stone's throw away from Sine Qua Non and my winemaking journey began. I haven't looked back since! It is hard to believe that at the time of writing this note I am working away on my 13th vintage. Time flies when you're having fun ;-)
Have you worked at Sine Qua Non before establishing Fingers Crossed?
Yes, I worked at Sine Qua Non for 5 harvests before starting our winery.
What are the most important things you have learned from your father / parents?
Make no compromises, actually *DO* the things that everyone else "says" they're doing, stay focused and be authentic. It goes without saying that my skill set in winemaking comes from working with my parents at SQN, but the most valuable lessons learned have to do with work ethic and mindset.
Did you work at other wineries somewhere in the world to gain experience?
No. Where would I find a better winery in the world to work at than SQN? With that said, I have a number of friends in the wine industry who I certainly have learned a great deal from through open discourse and a mutual love of curiosity.
How would you describe the difference in style between Sine Qua Non and Fingers Crossed?
The most obvious differences are the result of using different vineyard sources in our program. Each vineyard has a unique character that is singular to itself. In the course of winemaking and elevage, there are thousands of decisions that ultimately culminate in the final bottle. Since there is no recipe in winemaking and no two vintages are the same, the end result will inevitably be one of a kind. From the farming decisions, to fermentation management/extraction, what cooperages to use, to the blends we craft and so on... our wines have a distinct thumbprint that is indisputably Nikolas & Julia Krankl. Now, of course, I am my father's son and we share DNA, which I believe lends to a certain familiarity in terms of decision making, creativity, and personality which can be smelled and tasted in the wines.
How do you see your style of winemaking evolving over the years?
With each passing year our understanding of our vineyards strengthens. This knowledge lends to improved decision making at every step from grape to bottle. We continue to cast a wider net in terms of vineyard locations to diversify and protect against the ever changing weather patterns. Arguably the biggest evolution comes from the fact that my wife and partner, Julia, continues to develop and strengthen as a winemaker. She is currently on her 8th harvest and raises the bar with each passing year. She is astute, curious, passionate, hard working, perceptive and challenges the status quo. When it comes to making our blends, her keen sense of taste and smell are pivotal. Many describe our wines as full-bodied, rich and powerful, yet surprisingly elegant and full of finesse. This is the end result of great collaboration between Julia and I, yin and yang, male and female.
How do you and Julia distribute the work in the winery between you two?
We work in tandem and collaborate on ALL the winery work and decision making. Fingers Crossed is our baby, and we co-parent every step along the way. Together, we create the label artwork and wooden boxes, write release letters, decide when to harvest, how much whole cluster inclusion to utilize during fermentation, which oak barrels to use and what percentage should be new/used, rack the wines, create the blends, and bottle. As the saying goes, " there is no 'I' in 'TEAM,' and this could not be more true when it comes to the winery work. We are a small mom and pop operation and every single decision happens as a unit. The only times we divide and conquer would be when it comes to managing social media (Julia), day to day operations like topping and lab analysis (me), bookkeeping (Julia), and running the annual offering (me).
What do you love most about being a winemaker?
The best part of being a winemaker is the constant challenge. Every year is different and anti-formulaic. It keeps you guessing, on your toes, and alert. All of our senses are activated daily by smell, taste, sight, touch, and of course the weather. It is a humbling profession because you quickly realize that the more you learn, the less you know. The constant pursuit of perfection is intoxicating. I love that I get to work alongside the love of my life and to build something meaningful together. I love working with my hands and spending time in nature. I love that my kids are growing up in the cellar, walking through vineyards and tasting grape juice. I love creating a product that will outlive us. And the best part of all is that we get to play a role in people's best days, memories and important accolades. Knowing that our wines are served at anniversaries, weddings, promotions, date nights, graduations, or just a Friday night after a long week fills us with joy. Life is short and we all crave/need/want more fun and socialization - Fingers Crossed is built for the good times.
How was the harvest 2024?
It is still a work in progress... We are on track for another late year thanks to a wet winter and mild spring/summer. Unless there is a sense of urgency from Mother Nature to harvest sooner, we will likely be picking into November. This long hang time results in the concentrated and developed flavors that we adore. The white wines have been blessed with tremendous acidity and the color of the reds is dark as night thanks to the small berry size. Our crop yields are on the low side, but the quality is high so we are not complaining! Although it's too early to stake claim and make any bold predictions, all signs are pointing towards 2024 being a winning vintage.
Nikolas keltert seit 2017 seine eigenen Weine und braucht sich wahrlich nicht hinter denen seines Vater zu verstecken. Wir waren von Anfang an von seinen Weinen begeistert und vor kurzem haben wir Nik ein paar Fragen gestellt, ob ihm das Weinmachen in die Wiege gelegt wurde, wie er den Unterschied zu den Weinen seines Vaters festmacht und was er am Winzer-Dasein besonders liebt. Viel Spaß beim Lesen!
WEITERFÜHRENDE INFORMATIONEN
-> Video "Alles Krankl!" - Clemens & Julius erklären alle Projekte der Familie Krankl
-> Aktuelle Krankl-Selektion mit 320 Flaschen & 26 OHKs
-> Subskription aktuelle Jahrgänge aus dem Krankl-Universe
INTERVIEW MIT NIK KRANKL - OKTOBER 2024
When did you realize that you want to become a winemaker yourself?
I did not catch the "winemaking bug " until after Julia and I sold our coffee shop in Boston, MA. After Julia graduated from Harvard, we moved back west to my hometown in California so that she could do her medical residency at UCLA. I began spending more time with my father; drinking wines, riding motorcycles, and telling jokes. In 2012, we purchased a home in Oak View only a stone's throw away from Sine Qua Non and my winemaking journey began. I haven't looked back since! It is hard to believe that at the time of writing this note I am working away on my 13th vintage. Time flies when you're having fun ;-)
Have you worked at Sine Qua Non before establishing Fingers Crossed?
Yes, I worked at Sine Qua Non for 5 harvests before starting our winery.
What are the most important things you have learned from your father / parents?
Make no compromises, actually *DO* the things that everyone else "says" they're doing, stay focused and be authentic. It goes without saying that my skill set in winemaking comes from working with my parents at SQN, but the most valuable lessons learned have to do with work ethic and mindset.
Did you work at other wineries somewhere in the world to gain experience?
No. Where would I find a better winery in the world to work at than SQN? With that said, I have a number of friends in the wine industry who I certainly have learned a great deal from through open discourse and a mutual love of curiosity.
How would you describe the difference in style between Sine Qua Non and Fingers Crossed?
The most obvious differences are the result of using different vineyard sources in our program. Each vineyard has a unique character that is singular to itself. In the course of winemaking and elevage, there are thousands of decisions that ultimately culminate in the final bottle. Since there is no recipe in winemaking and no two vintages are the same, the end result will inevitably be one of a kind. From the farming decisions, to fermentation management/extraction, what cooperages to use, to the blends we craft and so on... our wines have a distinct thumbprint that is indisputably Nikolas & Julia Krankl. Now, of course, I am my father's son and we share DNA, which I believe lends to a certain familiarity in terms of decision making, creativity, and personality which can be smelled and tasted in the wines.
How do you see your style of winemaking evolving over the years?
With each passing year our understanding of our vineyards strengthens. This knowledge lends to improved decision making at every step from grape to bottle. We continue to cast a wider net in terms of vineyard locations to diversify and protect against the ever changing weather patterns. Arguably the biggest evolution comes from the fact that my wife and partner, Julia, continues to develop and strengthen as a winemaker. She is currently on her 8th harvest and raises the bar with each passing year. She is astute, curious, passionate, hard working, perceptive and challenges the status quo. When it comes to making our blends, her keen sense of taste and smell are pivotal. Many describe our wines as full-bodied, rich and powerful, yet surprisingly elegant and full of finesse. This is the end result of great collaboration between Julia and I, yin and yang, male and female.
How do you and Julia distribute the work in the winery between you two?
We work in tandem and collaborate on ALL the winery work and decision making. Fingers Crossed is our baby, and we co-parent every step along the way. Together, we create the label artwork and wooden boxes, write release letters, decide when to harvest, how much whole cluster inclusion to utilize during fermentation, which oak barrels to use and what percentage should be new/used, rack the wines, create the blends, and bottle. As the saying goes, " there is no 'I' in 'TEAM,' and this could not be more true when it comes to the winery work. We are a small mom and pop operation and every single decision happens as a unit. The only times we divide and conquer would be when it comes to managing social media (Julia), day to day operations like topping and lab analysis (me), bookkeeping (Julia), and running the annual offering (me).
What do you love most about being a winemaker?
The best part of being a winemaker is the constant challenge. Every year is different and anti-formulaic. It keeps you guessing, on your toes, and alert. All of our senses are activated daily by smell, taste, sight, touch, and of course the weather. It is a humbling profession because you quickly realize that the more you learn, the less you know. The constant pursuit of perfection is intoxicating. I love that I get to work alongside the love of my life and to build something meaningful together. I love working with my hands and spending time in nature. I love that my kids are growing up in the cellar, walking through vineyards and tasting grape juice. I love creating a product that will outlive us. And the best part of all is that we get to play a role in people's best days, memories and important accolades. Knowing that our wines are served at anniversaries, weddings, promotions, date nights, graduations, or just a Friday night after a long week fills us with joy. Life is short and we all crave/need/want more fun and socialization - Fingers Crossed is built for the good times.
How was the harvest 2024?
It is still a work in progress... We are on track for another late year thanks to a wet winter and mild spring/summer. Unless there is a sense of urgency from Mother Nature to harvest sooner, we will likely be picking into November. This long hang time results in the concentrated and developed flavors that we adore. The white wines have been blessed with tremendous acidity and the color of the reds is dark as night thanks to the small berry size. Our crop yields are on the low side, but the quality is high so we are not complaining! Although it's too early to stake claim and make any bold predictions, all signs are pointing towards 2024 being a winning vintage.