Lisa and Cliff Howard, owners and winemakers at Tolenas Winery in the Suisun Valley AVA. Video by Hunter Phillips, Goldbrick Films.
Family, focused on quality.
Tolenas Winery
Meet Lisa and Cliff Howard, owners and winemakers at Tolenas Winery in the Suisun Valley AVA. As second-generation farmers and winemakers, Tolenas Winery is the culmination of their passion and the continuation of a family legacy. Lisa and Cliff began their winemaking journey under the guidance of Lisa’s parents, wine country pioneers Linda and Steve Tenbrink. Growing up a farmer’s daughter, Lisa spent her childhood playing among the orchards and learning the gifts of the trade. Though she wouldn’t use these gifts until many years later, Lisa’s upbringing gave her a unique perspective and planted the seeds for her own foray into the wine industry.
An agricultural engineer with a commitment to sustainable farming, Lisa has been a lifelong advocate for Suisun Valley’s burgeoning community of small local business and wineries. After moving away to Arizona, where she met her husband Cliff, Lisa felt called to return to her home of Suisun Valley. Shortly thereafter, a serendipitous opportunity arose to purchase a 55-acre property, and Lisa and Cliff were compelled to fulfill their collective calling as grapegrowers and winemakers.
Lisa's eye for detail and hands-on approach has helped her develop a winemaking philosophy that sets her apart. This includes her commitment to protecting the land, preserving the integrity of their wines, and abstaining from interfering with the natural growth of their vines. Cliff's eagerness and excitement is evident in all areas of the business, from winemaking and sales to storytelling and event planning. He loves building relationships with guests, sharing the Tolenas story, and revisiting his personal winemaking journey. Today, Lisa and Cliff continue to operate Tolenas Winery with the help of their family.
We're proud to work with Tolenas Winery. Whether small artisanal producers or large scale operations, family-owned or otherwise, Amorim offers wineries the most sustainable closure option on the market and provides globally recognized R&D to legitimize this guarantee.
“We know that we’re always going to get a quality cork. When we have that cork in the bottle, it says a statement about the quality of wine that we’re producing; that we don’t use alternatives, we use natural corks.”