Winemaker Thomas Peffer

Tom understands that Napa Valley creates some of the best red wines in the world. Like the vignerons of Bordeaux and Burgundy, he believes that differences in the vineyard are more important than winemaking variables in the cellar. "The precise location of the Napa Valley, with an ideal combination of warm days and cool nights, creates the distinction. Working with a range of vineyards throughout the Napa Valley has revealed flavor profiles that are unique to an area. I strive to bring out the unique expression of the land itself in the wine," Tom says.

Tom’s journey in life started in Eau Clair, Wisconsin. As a child his family moved to California to escape the ice, mid-western winters and settled in Fresno. During his college years, Tom developed a penchant for making wines at home, designing his own equipment for fermentation and aging his wines. Soon Tom realized that this could be more than just a hobby.

After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from California State University, Fresno in 1979, Tom dedicated several summers to working the crush in Napa Valley as a viticultural researcher and lab technician starting in 1982. He utilized his educational background to refine approaches in the vineyard as well as lab methods used for chemical analysis. Tom then pursued a Master of Science in Enology from CSU, Fresno.

Tom joined Beringer Vineyards in 1985 as an assistant winemaker, assuming duties in every aspect of wine production from grape arrival through bottling. Vintage after vintage, Tom’s winemaking skills sharpened as he worked on such wines as the highly acclaimed Private Reserve bottlings as well as the Bancroft Howell Mountain Merlot. In 1997, he was approached to head the Atalon project in Napa. Tom’s talents and his extensive experience were well suited to the winery’s vision of creating a new measure of quality in the Napa Valley.

Tom views winemaking as a culmination of events in nature and attentive nurturing. "To achieve wines that offer incredibly rich fruit flavors with that wonderful dense, lush character, the grapes must be harvested at optimum ripeness. Picking at the point of ideal ripeness allows for the best fruit expression in a wine, providing our senses with authentic pleasure." For Tom, his passion and attention to every detail — knowing when to intervene and when not to, both in the vineyard and at the winery — is the key to distinguishing the good wine from the truly extraordinary wine. His approach at Atalon highlights a commitment to creating great wine.

Notes from the Vineyard - June 2009