Rose Ann Finkel

Charles and Rose Ann Finkel view a bottle of wine, circa 1972. Rose Ann Finkel (1946–2020) was an American businesswoman who ran craft breweries and wine importing companies in Seattle. She co-founded Merchant du Vin and Pike Brewing with her husband Charles Finkel. She also co-owned the gourmet market Truffles.

Early life She was born in 1946 in New Orleans, Louisiana, and raised in Houston, Texas. She graduated from high school in 1964 and pursued dental hygiene as a career because it paid better than other options for women.

Marriage Rose Ann was introduced to Charles Finkel in 1968 by a mutual friend. Charles was working at a wine import company based in New York, and they met at a wine tasting he was conducting at a new wine bar in Houston, Texas. They dated for a month before becoming engaged, married six months later at the Shamrock Hilton Hotel, and honeymooned in Mexico City. They had two children. She was a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier, which is 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. 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. She enjoyed travel and educating herself and others about wine, beer, and food.

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. 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. Contracts included Yuengling, Traquair House, Trappist Ale from Belgium, and the English brewery Samuel Smith. Rose Ann was the Chief Operating Officer, vice president of marketing, and educated restaurant owners about beer and food pairings. 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. In 2015, the Finkels' contributions to the food and beverage industry were recognized with the Angelo Pellegrini Award.

Death She died June 16, 2020, from myelodysplastic syndrome blood cancer at the age of 73.