Pioneer Jewish winemaker Al Brounstein dies at 86

When Art and Bunny Finkelstein moved to Napa Valley in the mid-1970s to follow their dreams of making wine, there were only a handful of Jews doing so.

One of them was Al Brounstein, who is credited with making one

of the finest California Cabernet Sauvignons to be had. The Calistoga winemaker died Monday, June 26, after a 20-year battle with Parkinson's disease. He was 86.

Brounstein was too ill to attend a fund-raiser in St. Helena on Sunday, June 24 celebrating the Jewish vintners of Napa Valley. But Art Finkelstein of Judd's Hill Winery paid tribute to Brounstein, a pioneer among Jewish winemakers.

"Bernstein, Brounstein and Finkelstein — sounds more like a law firm than a cadre of winemakers," quipped Finkelstein.

Brounstein was born Feb. 17, 1920 in Saskatchewan, Canada, but his family moved to Minneapolis when he was an infant. His father, Henry, sold liquor illegally for Sam Bronfman during Prohibition.

In 1942, Brounstein graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor's degree in business.

He moved to Los Angeles and started selling non-prescription drugs to drugstores. In 1945, he married Nancy Ravitch, who died in 1965.

In the 1960s, Brounstein took a wine-appreciation class that changed his life. After making a fortune selling pharmaceuticals, he bought a small plot of land in Calistoga in 1967 and called it Diamond Creek Vineyards. A licensed pilot, he smuggled cuttings from Bordeaux via Tijuana on his private plane.

In 1969, he married Adelle "Boots" Ross.

His Cabernets regularly sell upward of $150 a bottle, mostly to collectors.

"He had the chutzpah to charge what our European counterparts were charging, and therefore changed the economic nature of the California wine business," said Finkelstein.

Brounstein was a member of Napa's Congregation Beth Sholom, and every year he hosted "Shavuot in the Vineyard" services. He was called to the Torah this past Shavuot, becoming a bar mitzvah at 86. Brounstein was also an artist, donating the proceeds from any sales of his art to Parkinson's research.

In addition to his wife, Boots, he is survived by his son, Gary Brounstein of Reno, two stepsons, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Donations can be made to the Parkinson's Institute, 1170 Morse Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94089.