TOR Kenward Family Wines

Tor Kenward spent 27 years at Beringer Vineyards helping shape the modern era of premium single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay in Napa Valley before he and his wife Susan founded TOR Kenward Family Wines in 2001. During those formative decades, Tor was mentored by some of the most influential figures in American wine history, including Robert Mondavi, André Tchelistcheff, and Warren Winiarski. That foundation of mentorship and hands-on experience informed the philosophy TOR carries to this day: seek out the finest vineyard sites, work in small volumes, and let the fruit speak. In 2022, Tor published 'Reflections of a Vintner: sTORies and Seasonal Wisdom from a Lifetime in Napa Valley,' a memoir organized into monthly chapters and collecting stories about the people and places that shaped five decades in wine. An updated edition appeared on October 14, 2025.

• TOR founded in 2001 after Tor Kenward's 27-year tenure at Beringer Vineyards
• Mentors included Robert Mondavi, André Tchelistcheff, and Warren Winiarski
• Memoir 'Reflections of a Vintner' published 2022, updated edition October 2025
• Tor continued active innovations at the winery as of June 2025 reporting, at 77 years of age

TOR Kenward Family Wines remains 100% family-owned, with Tor and Susan Kenward continuing to lead the operation as its first and only generation of principals. Susan brings a background in culinary, fashion, and beauty, and earned two James Beard Awards as a food and lifestyle writer, lending the brand a creative identity that extends well beyond the cellar. On the production side, Jeff Ames has been the winemaker since the winery's founding, providing continuity and consistency across more than two decades of vintages. Associate winemaker Patricio Paso Viola, a native of Mendoza, Argentina, adds international perspective to the team. The winery is headquartered at Wheeler Farm, a 12-acre historic estate situated on Zinfandel Lane in St. Helena.

• 100% family-owned; Tor and Susan Kenward are both first-generation principals
• Susan Kenward is a two-time James Beard Award winner as a food and lifestyle writer
• Jeff Ames has served as winemaker since the founding year of 2001
• Associate winemaker Patricio Paso Viola is a native of Mendoza, Argentina

TOR sources fruit through long-term partnerships with some of the most celebrated vineyard sites in Napa Valley, spanning the valley floor and mountain terrain across multiple AVAs including Oakville, Carneros, Howell Mountain, and Pritchard Hill. The crown jewel is Beckstoffer To Kalon in Oakville, where TOR has accumulated 11 blocks since 2005, including two rare blocks of Cabernet Franc, a holding that contributes to the 'Pure Magic' and 'Black Magic' co-fermented Bordeaux cuvées. Other key sources include Vine Hill Ranch, Beckstoffer Dr. Crane, Melanson Vineyard on Pritchard Hill, Hyde Vineyard in Napa Carneros (home to the flagship Chardonnay), Steve Beresini's Carneros site, Vaca Ridge's Upper Range Vineyard, and Tierra Roja. Each wine is a single-vineyard expression designed to capture the character of its specific block.

• 11 blocks accumulated within Beckstoffer To Kalon in Oakville since 2005, including two rare Cabernet Franc blocks
• Chardonnay sourced from Larry Hyde's Napa Carneros property, Hyde Vineyard
• Mountain sources include Melanson Vineyard on Pritchard Hill and Vaca Ridge Upper Range Vineyard
• Vineyard partners also include Beckstoffer Dr. Crane, Vine Hill Ranch, Steve Beresini's Carneros site, and Tierra Roja

TOR's winemaking philosophy centers on minimum intervention and maximum transparency in the fruit, beginning with hand-picked and rigorously sorted grapes from each partner vineyard. Fermentations rely on native yeasts, and the Chardonnay program incorporates battonage to build texture and complexity. Wines are aged in French oak barrels and bottled without filtration or fining, preserving the full character of each site. The To Kalon holdings yield a range of single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons as well as the co-fermented Bordeaux blends 'Pure Magic' and 'Black Magic,' which benefit from the rare Cabernet Franc blocks within that vineyard. Jeff Ames has maintained this production approach consistently since 2001, with the 2022 vintage described in reporting as continuing an 'absurd run of great wines' from the To Kalon blocks.

• Hand-picked and hard-sorted fruit; native yeast fermentations throughout
• Chardonnay program uses battonage; wines are unfiltered and unfined
• French oak barrels used for aging across the portfolio
• 'Pure Magic' and 'Black Magic' are co-fermented Bordeaux cuvées utilizing rare Cabernet Franc blocks at To Kalon

TOR Kenward Family Wines occupies a distinct position in Napa Valley as the work of a true industry insider who chose to channel a lifetime of relationships and vineyard access into a small-batch, family-owned project rather than a scaled commercial enterprise. The 100-point scores accumulated since 2001 reflect not novelty but consistency, with critics repeatedly recognizing the precision and site specificity of the wines. The October 2021 Judgment of Napa result, in which TOR Cabernet ranked first against legendary Bordeaux châteaux and top international competition, placed the producer on a global stage. For students of Napa Valley wine, TOR illustrates the importance of vineyard access, mentor networks, and long-term relationships in building a portfolio of world-class single-vineyard wines from a region where land tenure defines opportunity.

• Over twenty 100-point scores from leading critics across multiple vintages
• TOR Cabernet ranked #1 at the October 2021 Judgment of Napa, beating Bordeaux châteaux and international peers
• Founded by a Beringer veteran with mentorship from Mondavi, Tchelistcheff, and Winiarski
• Demonstrates how vineyard partnership networks can rival estate ownership for quality and site specificity in Napa Valley