Tomi Wines
Get the Dirt from winemaker Boyd Shermis
“Pinot Noir, Tempranillo and Syrah are my favorites because of the complexity they offer on the palate and the challenges they offer me as a wine maker to create something special.”
What was your first vintage year? Our first vintage was 2019.
How many cases do you make per vintage? We bottle around 350 cases per year.
Do you have a Tasting Room? Yes, Thursday thru Monday from 11:30am~5:30pm, or by appointment.
What wine made you want to become a winemaker/start your own winery? No particular grape, just a love of very fine wine.
What varietals do you work with? Viognier, Chardonnay, Albariño, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meuniere, Tempranillo, Barbera, Grenache and Merlot.
Which varietal is your favorite to make? Pinot Noir, Tempranillo and Syrah are my favorites because of the complexity they offer on the palate and the challenges they offer me as a wine maker to create something special.
What vineyards do you source from? In the Santa Barbara County AVA, currently sourcing from Thompson, La Encantada, Bent Rock, Estelle, Watch Hill, Tierra Alta, Riverbench, and Santa Ynez Vineyard. In the Paso Robles AVA, we get grapes from Alta Colina, Loma Seca & Caelesta Vineayrds.
What type of oak treatment do you use? Why?
Typically about 30% New French Oak, sometimes reaching 50%. And on certain wines I’ll include some American Oak by utilizing Hybrid barrels (French Staves, American Heads). And occasionally I’ve used Hungarian Oak and Acacia. Typically MT+.
I like the flavor profiles or the respective wood species and the different forrests in France. I like the tannins and the complexity that oak provides. And I definitely age in oak for the micro-oxygenation that it provides to the wine.
What do you love about your winemaking region? What makes it different special?
Sourcing from the Central Coast offers such a variety of micro-climates and soil possibilities, it provides seemingly endless options for selecting varietals. From the cool coastal air (wind, fog, salinity) to the calcareous soils, the inland heat and loamy clay, etc. 70+ varietals from which to choose. I consider the Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir fruit to be the finest in the world. The same can be said about the Red Rhone varietals. And I found a terroir at Riverbench which closely mimics the Rias Baxias region in Spain for growing Albariño.
What’s the story behind your winery name / label?
The label name is the middle name of winery owner and creative director, Denise Tomi Davis. The labels have been designed to embody classic label art. And the fanciful names assigned to each wine are an homage to our roots in the film industry.
What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about the wine business before you started your own winery?
That I should have started sooner in life!
Most importantly, what's so great about being small? What can you do as a small winemaker, that wouldn't be possible for larger wineries?
Being small allows me, as the winemaker, to keep a close eye (and tongue) on every small batch that we make.
How do you view the future in the wine industry for small-lot winemakers?
I believe the future is bright for small lot wine makers. One has only to look at the way micro-breweries have flourished to see a parallel with small wineries.
If you could choose another wine region to work in what would it be?
Not sure that I would choose anywhere else. But a nice alternative might be Sonoma’s Russian River Valley. Or maybe Australia’s Barossa Valley.
For more information about Tomi Wines, please visit their website or follow them on Instagram.