Tony Lombardi Brings a Taste of Sonoma to Rotary

RCB President Jeff Stone and Rotarian Frank Stitt with Tony Lombardi

This week, the Rotary Club of Birmingham (RCB) welcomed Tony Lombardi, founder of Lombardi Wines in Sonoma County, California. Lombardi shared his family’s rich history in the wine industry, tracing roots from Italy to the vineyards of Sonoma, and reflected on how relationships and heritage continue to shape his work today.

During lunch, members enjoyed a special wine tasting featuring Lombardi’s Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, paired with a special menu prepared by Southern Foodservice. Lombardi spoke about his passion for small-lot winemaking, his focus on crafting wines that balance acidity and elegance, and his commitment to family traditions that inspire each vintage.

Bio for Tony Lombardi

Tony Lombardi grew up in Sonoma County and graduated from Saint Mary’s College with a degree in Business Management. His first job in wine came in 1998 when he joined the hospitality team at Clos Du Bois Winery, located in Geyserville, CA. During this time, he formed great friendships with colleagues who shared his passion for all things food and wine. He shared this enthusiasm with consumers, trade partners, and media that would come to learn about Alexander Valley wines.

In 2001, Tony joined the public relations team at Allied Domecq Wines. This is where his career in public relations began, overseeing 12 international and domestic wineries with responsibilities in brand positioning, message development, media relations, event management, and strategic planning. A series of mergers and acquisitions followed, where Allied Domecq was purchased by Fortune Brands, and Tony assumed the role of Public Relations Manager with the new company, Beam Wine Estates, managing PR efforts for seven prestige brands within the portfolio.

After the purchase of Beam Wine Estates by Constellation Wines U.S. in 2007, Tony spent a short time working with Russian River Valley Sparkling and Pinot Noir specialist, J Vineyards & Winery, in the role of Marketing and Public Relations Manager. In June 2008, he helped launch Healdsburg start-up company, Ascentia Wine Estates, as Director of Public Relations, spearheading efforts for its five California and

three Pacific Northwest brands.

Tony joined the exceptional team at Kosta Browne Winery as its Brand and Public Relations Director in 2010. For the next five years, he was tasked with helping build brand awareness for the ultra-premium Pinot Noir specialist, its exceptional wine quality, and the Kosta Browne experience for its consumer, media, and trade audiences, and assisted in its sale at the end of 2014.

Tony founded Lombardi Wines in 2013, in a pursuit to honor his family’s rich history of wine, food, and tradition. Together with winemaker Cabell Coursey, they make small lots of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from some of the finest vineyards in Sonoma County. The Pinot Noir is crafted with care from a family of growers in Petaluma, where the Lombardi family has been since 1947.

In 2015, Tony started a boutique consulting company offering Marketing, Public Relations, and Sales services to the benefit of small family wine businesses in need of this expertise. With over 30 years of experience in management, production, sales, marketing, and public relations, Lombardi Marketing is a trusted source to the benefit of wineries operating in the luxury wine category. Current and Past Clients include: A.P. VIN, Arista Winery, Blue Farm Wines, Browne Family Wines – CIRQ/CHEV Wines, Bucher Wines, Chenoweth Wines, Cornerstone Cellars, Coursey Graves, Donum Estate, Flanagan Vineyards, Geodesy Wine, J. Cage Cellars, Innumero Wines, Keller Estate, Kobler Estate Winery, Kreck Wines, Maxville Winery, Pellegrini Wine Company, Jigar & Sedition Wines, Ram’s Gate Winery, Roger Roessler Wines, Sangiacomo Family Wines, Saxon Brown Wines, Serres Ranch Wine, Stone Edge Farm Estate Vineyards & Winery, Three Sticks Wines, Valette Wines, and Work Vineyard.

When he is not busy promoting the wonderful stories of exceptional Sonoma County and Napa Valley wine, Tony enjoys spending time with his wife, Christine, and sons, Drew and Aidan.