Born Alan Finkelstein in Rock Island, Illinois, he changed his last name professionally at the age of 17 when he was playing piano in big bands.
He was working as a plastic surgeon in Southern California when he and his brother, Art Finkelstein, decided to start a Napa Valley winery. The brothers had already won awards for the wines they’d made in Finkelstein’s garage.
“I think my dad was sick of Southern California,” said Sarah Steen. “It was a dream he and my uncle had always had. They educated themselves on how to start a winery, and they took the plunge.” The first year the winery produced only 3,500 cases in its first year. By the time the brothers sold the winery, it was producing up to 35,000 cases.