Fingers Crossed is an artisanal Rhône-based winery located in the Ojai Valley. Owners and winemakers Nikolas  and Julia Krankl are hyper-focused on quality over quantity, currently producing 1,600 cases annually. Nik grew  up eating grilled cheese and chocolate chip cookies with his cousins at his aunt Nancy Silverton’s La Brea Bakery and Campanile in the 90’s. Following in the footsteps of his iconic food and wine family, he fell in love with coffee  in Italy as a teen, culminating in opening an award-winning coffee shop outside Boston alongside his wife, Julia; ultimately becoming a barista champion. Back in Los Angeles, Nik worked with Nancy, Walter Manzke and other top chefs as a coffee consultant until he got the itch to become a winemaker in 2012. He cut his teeth working  for his parents at Sine Qua Non and in 2017, decided to chase a dream and launch his own label with Julia, a  Harvard and UCLA-trained doctor and author.  

The Fingers Crossed style is unabashedly Californian; sun-kissed wines that are decadent, perfumed, opulent  and regal, yet light on their feet. The couple sources pristine grapes from a who’s who of Santa Barbara County’s  top vineyards including Bien Nacido, Stolpman, and Sanford and Benedict. Each year, Nikolas and Julia craft their own distinctive artwork to adorn their bottles and custom wooden boxes. Every label tells a unique story that  excites the wine lover and connects them with the brand through ever-evolving art mediums such as  photography, woodcuts, Polaroid emulsion lifts, paint and collage. 

Despite their small production, Nikolas and Julia Krankl have been recognized by renowned wine reviewers Lisa  Perotti Brown, Antonio Galloni, James Suckling, Jeb Dunnuck and Erin Brooks. They have been called “rising  stars,” and by their second vintage had already scored a perfect 100-points for their 2018 Syrah, “Off The Record.” Their wines have garnered high praise from Rhône-expert Jeb Dunnuck, scoring above 95 on every wine they  have produced. They have been featured in Decanter magazine, Hospice du Rhône, and Loam Baby, and were  named one of Jeb Dunnuck’s Top Wines of 2020 and 2023, Decanter’s 30 Top Buys American Syrah in 2024,  Robert Parker Wine Advocate’s Top 100 Wine Discoveries in 2020, and R.H. Drexel’s Top 50 Wines of 2023. These  meticulously-crafted, special occasion wines prove to be hard to find, but worth pursuing.

PARTICIPATING EVENTS:

Opening Night Reception

Wine Seminar: Fingers Crossed with Nikolas and Julia Krankl