I recently had the pleasure of catching up with Tony Lombardi of Lombardi Wines (who remains one of the nicest people in the industry). Since I last wrote about Lombardi Wines, they’ve been busy crafting some seriously impressive wines and building on his family’s rich legacy. Tony founded the winery in 2013 as a tribute to his Italian roots and his great grandfather’s immigration legacy. He is approaching an industry milestone of 1,000 cases of wine next year. Not bad for starting with a barrel of Pinot Noir and a barrel of Chardonnay.
Here’s a link to the story that I wrote over two years ago. There have been some great shifts forward, but I love how the focus is still family as well as a non-profit charity, Hilinskis Hope, which works to promote mental health awareness in college athletes. His family founded it in honor of his nephew and godson who died of suicide, and it is now looking at expanding to support the programs in high schools as well. For more info about the organization, click here.
Tony shared a great story about The Triangle Wine & Food Experience, an event he’s attended for 15 years that benefits the Frankie Lemmon Foundation. This charity has evolved from humble beginnings in a church to now offering life-changing therapies and developmental services. The event, which brings together top chefs and exceptional wines, has raised an impressive $3 million for its causes over the years. It exemplifies how wine can unite people for a greater purpose, recently expanding its support to include the Hilinski’s Hope Foundation. As the Frankie Lemmon Foundation grows its educational reach from preschool to a K-8 campus, the event’s impact continues to broaden, raising $90,000 for Hilinski’s Hope through a special Sonoma County Wine Country Week donation.
And, of course, making good wine.
The big news is that Tony’s son Drew is now following in his father’s footsteps in the wine industry. Drew recently graduated from Cal Poly-SLO with a degree in enology and viticulture. He’s already gained impressive experience, completing harvests at wineries like Browne Family Wines (CIRQ and CHEV Wines), Mumm Napa, BOOKER Wines, and Kosta Browne. Drew is currently working harvest in New Zealand at Craggy Ridge and is aiming to head to France next.
I had the chance to taste some of Lombardi Wines latest releases, including their 2022 Russian River Valley Chardonnay, the 2022 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast, and the 2022 Gap’s Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir. The Chardonnay impressed with notes of honeydew, orange blossoms and white peach, while the Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir showed elegant notes of lilac, lavender, dark cherry and a hint of black truffle. The 2022 Lombardi Wines Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir showcases the rich terroir of Sonoma County with notes of blackberry, black cherry, black licorice, and currant with mocha.
Lombardi Wines continues to collaborate with Winemaker Cabell Coursey, expanding their portfolio to include more small lot wines from the Russian River Valley as well as continuing to source fruit from growers in the Petaluma Gap, where the Lombardi Family has roots dating back to 1947. Interestingly, Coursey also serves as the Director of Winemaking and Viticulture for Browne Family Wines, which happens to be a PR client of Tony Lombardi’s marketing company. This connection showcases the interconnected nature of the wine industry, where relationships often overlap across different roles and businesses.
Tony remains active in the industry beyond just Lombardi Wines, managing a portfolio of international wineries and running a marketing company. He’s also on the Board of Directors of Sonoma County Vintners and the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance.
What I love about Tony and Lombardi Wines is how they’ve managed to grow while staying true to their family roots. They’re still sourcing fruit from a family of growers in the Petaluma Gap, where the Lombardi family has been since 1947. It’s this connection to place and family that really shines through in every bottle.
Tony and Chef Dustin Valette are co-hosting an 8 night cruise from Venice to Athens on a luxury yacht that carries fewer than 200 passengers from September 22 to 30. Expect great food, wine and hospitality. for more information, click here.
