After retiring in 2001, he and his wife, Susan, used the knowledge Tor had gained to start their dream: TOR Wines. With the help of winemaker Jeff Ames, that same year they made the vineyard’s first vintages with the team that is still with them today.

TOR focuses on single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay wines, cuvées, and Bordeaux varietals from plots of land Tor knows and respects. Each wine is handmade and bottled in very small quantities. TOR has built its reputation on site-specific wines, but they also leave room for “magic” if a very special blend shows up at the winemaker’s table. Because they work with what they consider many of Napa Valley’s First Growths, surprises can happen. Fermentations are done with natural indigenous yeast and wines are aged in small French cooperage, with specific coopers tailored to each vineyard. Each wine is nurtured to bottle unfiltered and unfined.

At TOR, vineyards are the heart and soul of what makes wine so fascinating, absorbing, and challenging. They give the great minds at TOR a rush each year to work with the extraordinary vineyards in their portfolio. Their vineyard partners are spread across the California wine region and include Beckstoffer To Kalon, Vine Hill Ranch, Tierra Roja, Melanson, Cimarossa, Hyde, and Beresini. Each vineyard is unique in its production and recognition, giving TOR an expansive yet extremely exclusive portfolio of flavors. It’s a true testament to the best the appellations of Napa Valley have to offer.