Tom Foster - Winemaker

With an interest in science as a youth, a fondness for nature,as well as growing up in the Napa Valley surrounded by superb wineries and restaurants Tom begins to describe his story: "It was inevitable that I chose a career in winemaking."   Tom had a diverse array of interests while growing up, but all it took was one vintage to get him hooked into winemaking as a lifelong career.

Tom's winemaking roots grew out of the cellar while working at William Hill, back when it was owned by Bill Hill.  Tom then moved on to work at Groth Winery alongside Nils Venge, followed up by Opus One working alongside Genevieve Janssens and Tim Mondavi for the Mondavi side, and Patrick Leon for the Mouton-Rothschild side.  After working with these Napa Valley Legends, Tom ventured off to start his own winemaking consulting service to assist  a few startup brands, such as Lewis Cellars, as well as starting his own brands-Thomas Michael, Coombsville, and Foster Family Estate.  All of his cumulative winemaking experiences helped to shape his philosophy about wine and winemaking.  

Tom is extremely passionate about making estate wines that express their personality directly from the dirt and micro-climate they came from.  He brings this level of passion to help shape the wines at Essere Napa with an unwavering attention to detail, energy, and enthusiasm. Between visiting the Estate Vineyards, to tasting individual barrels, or putting the final touches on a blend, Tom  is dedicated to continue Essere's story with more of our world-class wines.     

Phil Morich, CS, CSW, WSET3 - Chief Experience Officer

After living most of his life in the Rocky Mountains, Phil came to Napa Valley to further his education in the Wine Industry. For Phil, wine has become his calling. He joins us at Essere Franco Wines after 30 years of industry experience with several prestigious wineries in the Napa Valley, and some of you may recognize him from Chateau Lane Winery in Coombsville! 

When Phil is not creating ultimate luxury wine experiences for our guests and club members you will find him out cycling, skiing, fly-fishing, camping and hunting for edible fungi across the American West.