Thomas Peffer understands that Howell Mountain, Napa Valley creates some of the best red wines in the world. Like the vignerons of Bordeaux and Burgundy, Tom believes that differences in the vineyard are as important as the winemaking variables in the cellar. "The precise location of Howell Mountain, with an ideal combination of warm days and cool nights, creates the distinction."

As Tom approached his 21st birthday he learned that one could legally make 200 gallons of wine a year for personal use. "That's for me". Tom developed a penchant for making wines at home, designing his own equipment for fermentation, and building a little winery with an underground aging cellar. 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. He utilized his educational background to refine approaches in the vineyard as well as lab methods used for chemical analysis.
 Tom joined Beringer Vineyards winemaking team in 1985, 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 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 W.S. Keyes highlights a commitment to creating great wine.