Robert Tomé

ROBERT TOMÉ Click for Sommelier Choice Awards March 2024 Interview

CEO Tomé Brands

THE EARLY YEARS

Robert’s passion for wine began at a very young age. He recalls fondly making wine with his father and uncles in the garage, an annual tradition. On special occasions, Robert and his brothers would sample the fruits of their labor, with a splash of ginger ale—a rite of passage for many of Italian descent.

His love for the hospitality industry started when he worked at a golf club, where he not only discovered the game of golf but also found his way into the world of hospitality. This experience sparked a deep passion for the industry, ultimately earning him a full scholarship to pursue a degree in hospitality and tourism.

Over the years, Robert honed his skills in hospitality at some of the finest hotels, restaurants, and private golf clubs across North America and Northern Italy. While in Italy, he trained with the Italian Association of Sommeliers, further cultivating his love for wine and solidifying it as his true calling.

ROOTS FIRMLY PLANTED

By the late 1990s, Robert’s growing knowledge and experience led him to a full-time career in the wine industry. He worked with several wine agencies, representing wineries from around the world, but his ambition didn’t stop there.

In 2004, Robert took a bold step and launched his own wine importing agency. Over time, he built the business into one of the leading agencies, representing some of the most iconic wineries such as GAJA, Braida, Siro Pacenti, Valdicava, Zymé, Feudi di San Gregorio, and Merry Edwards, among others.

In 2017, Robert sought a new challenge and decided to take his career in a new direction. He sold his shares in the company and founded Tomé Group of Brands, his own wine brand producing wines from Washington State—a dream he had long been contemplating.

Click For Sommelier Choice Awards Interview March 2024

Victor Palencia

VICTOR PALENCIA

OUR WINEMAKER

Born in Michoacán, Mexico, Victor Palencia was 2 years old when his dad, in search of new opportunities, uprooted the family and moved them to the United States. The Palencia’s landed in Yakima, Wash., where Victor’s father began working in agriculture, tending to fields of mint and corn and soon the land Victor’s father tended was replanted with grapes.

Victor followed in his dad’s footsteps. In middle school, he began working in the fields, including planting grapes. By high school, he was on staff in a winery, and by the time he reached his senior year (in high school, people!) he was an assistant winemaker. Pretty impressive for a kid who was still too young to drink wine.

Victor has nearly come full circle. Those Yakima area vineyards he helped plant as a child? He gets some of the grapes for his wines from them now.

Following college, Victor worked his way up in the wine industry. He managed a custom crush facility that helped other wineries expand their production and in 2012, he took the leap to create his own wines Palencia Wine Co..

Using his great skills he learned from his father, Victor selects vineyard sites from specific regions to flagship specific flavours and styles staying true to variety and character.

The New York Times called Victor a “Vineyard Prodigy” and in 2016, Wine Enthusiast Magazine named Victor one of the Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers. In 2019, his winery Palencia Wine Co., was named Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year by Wine Press.