Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/391696
96 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014 O n one of those perfect early summer days in Napa Valley—and I do mean perfect—more than a dozen of California's top female sommeliers and wine professionals gathered at Gamble Family Vineyards in Oakville. The weather was magnifi - cent—sunny, a cool breeze in the air—and getting off the beaten path and winding through historic farms and vineyards was about as good as voyaging through wine country could possi - bly get. When we arrived at the estate, we were immediately greeted outside with a chilled glass of Gamble Family Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc. From that moment on, I knew that we would not be spending much time indoors; Gamble Family Vineyards is all about what lies outside of buildings: the vineyards, the ranch, the old oaks and beautiful rose bushes. Yet everything about Gamble Family Vineyards also reflects the man behind the brand: Tom Gamble. Tom is a Napa Valley native. His country farming heritage is reflected in everything about him. He owns a 1963 GMC long-bed pick-up truck that was The SOMM Journal's Women in Wine Luncheon Family Vineyards Gamble EVEN BETTER THAN "AS GOOD AS IT GETS" by Christie Dufault / photos by Erica Bartel (above) Gamble's Colby Hagen with Melissa Lavrinc Smith, Head Sommelier, K&L Wine Merchants. (below) Pebble Beach Wine Director Wendy Heilmann walks the vineyards with Tom Gamble and the group. There is some- thing empowering when groups of women come together to share and discuss wine.