Image - Tor Kenward and his book cover and a wine pouring
San Francisco

Tor Kenward: Reflections of a Vintner and Wine Tasting

In-person TicketsOnline-only Tickets

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Join us for a special program and wine tasting in which vintner Tor Kenward shares a lifetime of great wines, famous friends, deep knowledge and insider insights.

Kenward draw from his book Reflections of a Vintner, which recounts the lessons learned, relationships forged and observations made from an insider’s nearly 50-year journey through the burgeoning wine industry in Napa Valley. From the mid-seventies, when there were fewer than 50 wineries, to the present, with more than 800, Kenward shares his recollections as the region became a world-class wine destination. Kenward also has great stories about his friendships with legends of the modern American food and wine scene, including Julia Child, André Tchelistcheff, Andy Beckstoffer, and Robert Mondavi, among others.

Kenward’s hard work as a vintner was acknowledged and celebrated at the October 2021 Judgment of Napa, held 45 years after the historic Judgement of Paris. The TOR Cabernet was judged to be number one, outscoring legendary Bordeaux châteaux, Napa Valley, and international peers by leading critics and sommeliers. TOR wines, coveted by connoisseurs worldwide, received seven perfect 100-point ratings from leading critics for their 2018 Napa Valley wines.

How does he do it? An iconic winemaker, Kenward has written, taught and lectured on wine most of his adult life. What he is most often asked about are not facts or numbers about his wines, but the stories behind them. These are stories of inspiration and wisdom that shaped his journey. With Kenward’s impressive connection to Napa Valley and his legacy of creating inimitable wines, he has entertaining insights into an often intimidating and complex but highly enjoyable world.

Notes

You must be 21 years or older to attend.

This program has 2 types of tickets available: in-person and online-only. Please pre-register to receive a link to the live-stream event.

If you have symptoms of illness (coughing, fever, etc.), we ask that you either stay home or wear a mask. Our front desk has complimentary masks for members and guests who would like one.

Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California is a nonprofit public forum; we welcome donations made during registration to support the production of our programming.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

Bernard Osher Foundation

Photo courtesy the speaker.

All ticket sales are final and nonrefundable.

Tue, Jul 16 / 6:00 PM PDT

The Commonwealth Club of California
110 The Embarcadero
Taube Family Auditorium
San Francisco, CA 94105
United States

Speakers
Image - Tor Kenward

Tor Kenward

Founder, TOR Wines; Author, Reflections of a Vintner: Stories and Seasonal Wisdom from a Lifetime in Napa Valley

Image - Esther Mobley

In Conversation with Esther Mobley

Senior Wine Critic, San Francisco Chronicle

Format

5:30 p.m. doors open & check-in
6–7 p.m. program
7 p.m. book signing & wine tasting
(all times Pacific Time)

COST

In-person:
$20 members
$30 nonmembers
$46 members with a book
$56 nonmembers with a book
Free for Leadership Circle members and students (without a book)
Online:
Free for members
$10 nonmembers
$26 members with a book
$36 nonmembers with a book
Free for Leadership Circle members and students (without a book)