The Ojai Vineyard 109 S Montgomery St, Ojai, CA 93023, USA

Adam Tolmach graduated UC Davis in 1976 with a degree in viticulture and oenology. He started Au Bon Climat with Jim Clendenen in 1982. The winery was an overnight success, but after nine years together, Jim and Adam realized that they had to follow separate paths.

In 1991, Adam came back to the estate home in Ojai Valley, which his grandfather acquired in 1933, to solely concentrate in developing his craftmanship to the finest. Adam already had planted various grapes, such as Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc, in Ojai Valley and Santa Barbara since 1980’s, thus it was time for him to find various ways to further improve quality.

Since early 90’s, he minimized quantities of sulfites, avoiding fining, and filtering. He also took steps to transition the farming from sustainable to organic practices because he already knew the positive impact on the wine quality.

Adam wants to produce wines that express the best of its soil composition and climate, thus he uses more aged barrels when maturing, and also collects grapes from vineyards that are located in the cooler climate to capture all the nuances and unique characteristics. Adam still enjoys adapting changes to improve quality of the wine by experimenting with harvest dates, not adding sulfites, and organic farming. His modest attitude and unlimited love for wine will always motivate Adam to strive to be the finest winemaker.