Vineyard Manager, Tom Kelly (Photo courtesy of William Couch, www.williamcouch.com)
- Position: Vineyard Manager
- Biggest Challenge: Resurrecting the Chapelle Charlemagne vineyard to produce high quality fruit for Rappahannock Cellars.
- Greatest Joy: Watching Allan run from gnats on a humid summer day.
- All Time Favorite Wine: “2004 Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet
- All Time Favorite Rappahannock Wine: 2006 Meritage
- Hometown: Cleveland, OH
- Date you began at Rappahannock Cellars: March, 2004
- Background: 20 years in the Eastern wine industry. Tom began his wine career in the late 80’s at a winery in Eastern Pennsylvania as a field laborer. Soon he was supervising labor crews and operating tractors and other vineyard machinery. He later moved to Virginia where he continued his development into vineyard management and cellar operations. From 1993- 1997, he served as Vineyard Manager and Cellar Master at the (now closed) Totier Creek Winery in Charlottesville. He began with Rappahannock Cellars in March of 2004 as Vineyard Manager where he continues to hone his skills and improve grape quality for RC’s award winning wines.
- Quote: “Grape growing in Virginia is a challenging and ever changing process. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, Mother Nature throws you a curveball and you find yourself having to re-adapt, yet again!”
Contact: tkelly[at]rcellars.com
