A familiar voice to WCCO radio listeners has gone silent. Jack Farrell, longtime owner of Haskell's Wine and Spirits and contributor to WCCO has died. He was 82.
Farrell was a fixture on WCCO for more than five decades. In recent years, he would join Denny Long on Saturday mornings, and before that was a frequent guest of Charlie Boone's with their "Weekly Wine Chat" segments.
"He's been a part of WCCO Radio for so many years, as I have, and I worked with him certainly after Charlie Boone retired," Long said. "Jack has been part of this Twin Cities' scene, probably a year or two longer than I've been at CCO which is like 53 years."
Family members say Farrell died on Saturday after he went swimming. Haskell's Wine and Spirits dates back to 1934, and was bought by the Farrell family in 1970.
"It's a great loss for the community," Long said on Monday morning. "Because Jack did, he participated so often in so many ways, very knowledgeable, very knowledgeable about wines and spirits among other things. And and we spoke just this past Saturday. Wouldn't you know, a few hours after that he was gone."
Known for an elevated style, incredible knowledge of wines and his signature bow tie, Haskell was a fixture in the Twin Cities. The original Haskell's was the first store to bring classic French wines to Minnesota, and Farrell would often check-in on WCCO Radio from Burgundy, Champagne, or other wine-centric regions across France.
Haskell's signature store for many years was on 7th and Hennepin but today stands at 9th and Nicollet. Over the years, Haskell's has expanded to 12 stores in Minnesota: Woodbury, Stillwater, Plymouth, Excelsior, and a large store in Maple Grove, plus an online business.
All four of Jack Farrell's sons followed him into the liquor business.