FOOD & WINE

noun any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink or that plants absorb in order to maintain life and grow noun an alcoholic drink made from fermented grape juice

Food/Wine Lifestyle Editor

by Bequi Perez

This past month was filled with many celebrations and activities, from graduations, birthdays, festivals and more that it was hard to contain my excitement for impending events. I wanted to try something different and really dive into the whole experience and culture of a particular event and that is how I landed at Finck Cigars in Helotes. I am not a cigar aficionado, but my husband enjoys the whole process of going to the cigar shop, perusing the new shipments, making his purchase, and enjoying his cigar in the backyard after grilling a nice steak and sipping on some red wine. Yes, it is very specific and from what I come to learn, the art of cigars is indeed that, an art form. The history, how the individual families grew cigar brands from nothing to a now dynasty is incredible. But what you don’t hear about is the cigar shop. That place or some would call a Mecca holding all the cigars from different sizes, tobaccos, essence, and embel- lishments; and that place is called Finck Cigars.

This is where my journey begins. I had been informed that a world-renowned cigar brand (Fuente Cigars and their owner Carlito Fuente) would be visiting Finck Cigars in Helotes. I was intrigued and of course, made my way out to the Meet and Greet event. Upon arriving, guests are met to the live band Havana Soul, savory smells of Cuban food truck Mi Corazon International and even a mouthwatering complimentary drink booth making mojitos with Dos Maderas rum. First impressions are vital for any event and Finck Cigars knocked it out of the park.

As we walked in, we were met by the owner’s daughter Emily Finck, who graciously showed us around and allowed us a sneak peak of the amenities and even the chance to talk to the owner and her father, Bill Finck Jr to get some background on the event and his relationship to Carlito Fuente. It is amazing to think that both men are successful in the world of cigars and even more fascinating that both men grew up together. Both have legacy businesses started by their grandfathers and both men grew up learning the business and even spending time together through their adolescence. This event infact was planned in a short amount of time with a call from Carlito to Bill saying, I will be in town in a month, let’s do an event; and what an event it was.

Coming from a non-cigar smoker, the aromas, the camaraderie, ambiance, and just welcoming atmosphere made me want to learn more about this world. Both Bill Finck and Carlito Fuente were not only humble, but welcoming. Bill gave me a moment to talk with Carlito which was great to see what a nice person he was. Not only Carlito, but Bill, Emily and everyone at Finck were so welcoming and ready to share the cigar experience with their customers which many have become their friends. So, what’s next? I will be following the great love story of two dogs Coco Chanel and El Rey. They are not just any dogs; they are the famous dog models. They just celebrated their engagement for their upcoming nuptials to take place on August 26th at Comanche Park, which is also National Dog Day! I will be following the events that lead into the impending event, which will be led by Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez. Other participants in this affair will be Constable Kat Brown, Judge Ronnie Rangel and Bexar County Clerk Lucy Adame-Clark. Yours truly will also have a role in this exciting event!