We recently connected with Nikolas & Julia Krankl and have shared our conversation below.
Nikolas & Julia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
All signs pointed towards making a career working for my parent’s winery – Sine Qua Non. In 2012, I did just that. Got to work, cut my teeth and learned the trade from the best in the world. But then I got the itch to take a risk, to carve out my own lane and write our own story, which is when Fingers Crossed (formerly known as FAETHM) was born. The inaugural vintage was in 2017. This decision was life changing for me, my wife and business partner Julia, and our kids Lorenzo + Camila. What could have been viewed as *crazy* by everyone in the world of wine, turned out to be the greatest decision we ever made. It has changed how we live, what we do, and has provided us with immeasurable fulfillment to be in the driver’s seat, creating wines we adore, and building something from nothing. As the saying goes, “If you’re not the lead dog, the view never changes.” I would encourage anyone to take risks in their lives, no matter how scary it may seem, or be. Get out of your comfort zone, work like your life depends on it, and manifest destiny. Ask yourself, “why not me?”
Nikolas & Julia, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
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 1,900 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” and then again for their 2022 Syrah “Life & Death.” 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, Ojai
FOOD + WINE, Raked Ranch, Wine Business Monthly 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, R.H. Drexel’s Top 50
Wines of 2023, and James Suckling’s Top 100 USA Wines 2024. These meticulously-crafted,
special occasion wines prove to be hard to find, but worth pursuing.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Authenticity, creativity, storytelling and above all else putting quality above quantity. Never settle for “good enough.” Create something extraordinary, something genuine and pure, something that you would want to buy yourself…and then do everything you can to find your audience and spread the word. People are smart and passionate, and when you can connect with them, they will go to the edge of the Earth to help spread your message. Our customers are much more than just wine drinkers/collectors, they are Fingers Crossed ambassadors.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
When we started our winery in 2017 it was named FAETHM. Unfortunately, we found out the hard way that we could not get the name trademarked because another winery used the name “Fathom” which although spelled differently, phonetically sounds the same…at least that is what the USPTO had to say about it. So, we pivoted…because that is what you do when you run a business…constantly. Our 2017 vintage was named, “Fingers Crossed,” aptly so because we had just poured our life savings into the winery and we were praying for good luck, praying the wines would be well received and that our risk would be rewarded. Additionally, that was the year of the Thomas Fire (at the time the largest fire in California). We had to evacuate our home and winery and feared we would lose it all overnight. But we did not, we got lucky, we were spared. Others were much less fortunate, and our hearts continue to hurt for them. It felt like the perfect pivot – to rename our brand Fingers Crossed – and it worked. The trademark was issued and frankly, we are more in love with the name, and it is more in line with our brand ethos than FAETHM was anyways. Sometimes, a pivot might feel like a roadblock, but in fact it is actually the better direction to head.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fingerscrossedwine.com
- Instagram: @fingerscrossedwine
