An avid fly fisherman, Tom has strong feelings in favor of land preservation and ecological responsibility and he is deeply committed to protecting La Ribera’s two-miles of riverfront. Tom and Melissa have dedicated 90 acres along the Russian River as a riparian zone under a conservation easement and adhere to certified Fish Friendly Farming® practices in the vineyard. A vineyard certification program designed to restore fish and wildlife habitat and improve water quality, Fish Friendly Farming (FFF) guides growers who wish to assess and mitigate the impact of their farming practices. “We must be mindful of how we manage agricultural properties and protect the watershed,” says Tom. “We believe that wine quality starts in the vineyard and is an expression of our care for the land.”
In 2007 Tom became a Board Member of the California Land Stewardship Institute (CLSI), a non-profit organization dedicated to planning and implementing environmental stewardship, restoration and enhancement programs. CLSI operates the Fish Friendly Farming Certification program with over 75,000 acres in the program. As a result of Tom’s outreach to Parducci’s growers, 10,000 acres have been placed in the FFF certification program.
Tom and his family have lived in northern California since 1975 when he began his M.B.A. studies at Stanford. With 30 years of investment and management experience, he sees his partnership with Tim and Paul as a “powerful triad”. Accustomed to the competitive pace of Wall Street, he is enjoying the Parducci environment. “We are comfortable being creative, expressing our own ideas and working collaboratively toward solutions and goals.” Tom and his partners agree: business and wine should be fun.
“My and my brother Tim’s partnership with Paul Dolan is driven by our shared commitment to sustainability and quality,” says Tom. While they each bring distinct experiences to the ownership of Parducci and MWC, the partners share a common vision of how to do business: do what is good for the earth, the community and the wine. A philosophy of sustainability dominates farming practices, winemaking and packaging. “At Parducci, sustainability means farming and business practices that nourish the environment, the community and the individual, encompassing an abiding respect for the agricultural roots of Mendocino County,” says Tom. “We look at the whole process, from the vineyard to the bottle.”
“The purchase of the old Parducci Wine Cellars gave us an opportunity to contribute to the economic infrastructure of the community; the winery is large enough to serve that function.” He agrees with his partners’ perspective that Mendocino County grapes and wine are truly undervalued assets. Their strategy, over the next decade, is to help close the gap between the perceived value of Mendocino wines and the wines of our neighboring counties to the south, Napa and Sonoma. “I think we have the potential to make this happen and be of long term benefit to the community,” says Tom, citing his brother’s leadership in forming the Mendocino Winegrape & Wine Commission, an organization that will guide the county’s promotional program. The historic Parducci winery, La Ribera Vineyards and Mendocino Wine Company give Tom all the pieces he needs to achieve his personal goal of contributing to the Mendocino community. “I want a successful business that benefits the region,” says Tom.
As Parducci and MWC move forward, Tom sees himself primarily involved in the fiscal side of the business. Semi-retired from his long, successful career in the field of investment banking and management, Tom feels his most germane skill is mentoring people and building strong teams. Tom has also completed the Organization International de La Vigne et du Vine (OIV) program at UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology as well as the U.C. Davis classes on irrigation, trellising, grapes varieties and rootstocks. Tom and Melissa split time between La Ribera in Mendocino and home base in Marin County, California. 
Media Contact: Jan Mettler
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