Tor Kenward on 50 Years in Napa Valley & The New Edition of Reflections of a Vintner

Napa Valley icon Tor Kenward joins host Billy for a wide ranging conversation spanning five decades of wine, food, and culture in the Valley. Tor traces his journey from a 1970s arrival when Napa had fewer than 50 wineries through the post Judgment of Paris boom, his culinary collaborations with Julia Child, Thomas Keller, and the American Institute of Wine & Food, the founding of the School for American Chefs with Madeleine Kamman, and the creation of TOR Wines, a Burgundy minded, single vineyard model sourcing elite blocks from sites like To Kalon, Vine Hill Ranch, Martha’s Vineyard, Melanson Pritchard Hill, Hyde, Beckstoffer Dr. Crane, and more. 

We also dig into Tor’s updated book, Reflections of a Vintner: Stories and Seasonal Wisdom from a Lifetime in Napa Valley with forewords by Robert Parker and Thomas Keller and an afterword by Karen MacNeil, plus candid takes on climate, pricing, and Napa’s fifth season, the future.

Key Topics & Takeaways

• 1970s Napa, up close: fewer than 50 wineries, campgrounds over hotels, and meeting legends like André Tchelistcheff and Joe Heitz
• Judgment of Paris impact: how one blind tasting accelerated Napa’s global credibility and tourism
• Culinary engine of Napa: Julia Child, AIWF, Copia, and launching the School for American Chefs with Madeleine Kamman
• French Laundry era: early friendship with Thomas Keller; hospitality lessons borrowed from Europe and made Napa specific
• Building TOR Wines: why Tor chose a single vineyard Burgundy mindset over a Bordeaux style estate model
• Vineyard character, not just variety: how To Kalon vs Pritchard Hill vs Vine Hill Ranch show dramatic Cabernet diversity
• Contracts and farming voice: leasing elite blocks, co deciding canopy, crop load, and timing with family growers
• The book’s format: a vintage year told month by month January to December plus Déjà Vu, the future of Napa
• Headwinds and hope: consumption shifts, fire seasons, pricing ceilings, and why recent cool vintages can be outstanding
• Price tiers that make sense: maturing region dynamics, icon wines can command premiums while broader tiers stabilize

Links & Resources

• Reflections of a Vintner: Stories and Seasonal Wisdom from a Lifetime in Napa Valley updated edition
• Link: https://www.amazon.com/Reflections-Vintner-Tor-Kenward-ebook/dp/B0F37B1GMK

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to the Vent Wine Podcast
• 00:23 Meet Napa Valley Legend Tor Kenward
• 03:04 The Impact of the Judgment of Paris
• 05:21 Founding Tor Wines and Napa's Evolution
• 07:48 Reflections on Napa's Culinary and Wine Scene
• 18:26 The Transition from Sweet to Dry Wines
• 23:02 Napa's Hospitality Revolution
• 26:48 Starting Tour Wines: A Family-Owned Venture
• 27:39 Focusing on Single Vineyards: A Burgundy Approach
• 29:49 Leasing Vineyard Blocks: Building Relationships
• 30:55 Production Numbers and Collaborations
• 31:44 The Unique Characteristics of Napa Valley Wines
• 36:28 Writing the Book: Honoring Napa Valley's Legacy
• 42:59 Climate Change and Napa Valley's Future
• 46:32 The Premiumization of Napa Wines
• 50:10 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The Vint Wine Podcast is hosted and produced by Billy Galanko. For more content follow Billy on Instagram @BillyGalanko_wine_nerd and for partnerships and collaborations please email [e-mail].

Cheers!