Nick Finarelli
Assistant Winemaker
Nick Finarelli came to Benovia as an intern fresh out of Fresno
State University with a degree in fermentation sciences. He wasn't,
however, some wet-behind-the-ears kid. Nick was bitten by the wine
bug after working as an audio-visual technician at a television
station for several years. He was hooked and there was no going
back.
Being the kind of guy that tends to throw himself fully into
anything he does, he landed a job on the bottling line at Amador
County-based Renwood Winery. The management was so impressed that
they offered him a job in the cellar, and within a few years he
found himself Cellar Master. Driven to succeed, Finarelli wasn't
satisfied with stopping there. He was accepted to Fresno State
University, where he studied in the Department of Viticulture and
Enology. While at FSU, he continued to learn the trade by working
at Sunfire Estate in Fresno, and studying abroad in Switzerland,
Tuscany, and Burgundy. He was the president of the Enology Society
and was honored with the Most Outstanding Undergraduate award from
his program in his senior year.
Today, Nick is responsible for helping winemaker Mike Sullivan
craft his superb wines.