In 1993, after leaving the cold winters of Chicago behind, Tondi Bolkan enrolled at the University of California, Davis to study neurobiology. Hoping to join her family’s legacy of medical professionals, she studied and received a B.S. degree in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior.
During an internship at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, Tondi fainted while watching her first operation. She subsequently attended a career fair at UC Davis and made a fateful inquiry about vinology; this became her passion. From there, she didn’t look back, even though her family was disappointed that she had chosen not to pursue her medical school studies. A case of her own wine helped turn around the family’s attitude. Tondi has turned her love for science toward winegrowing, a profession that combines art, agriculture, organic chemistry, and biology.
She began her career producing Cabernet Sauvignon at Pine Ridge Winery in Napa Valley. In 2001, she joined Niebaum-Coppola, now Rubicon Estate, also located in the Napa Valley. At Rubicon, she devoted seven vintages to the winery’s portfolio and demonstrated a talent for balancing the technical side of the laboratory with the creative and artistic processes of winegrowing and winemaking.
In January 2008, Tondi started a new chapter with the company and moved to the Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville. As winemaker, Tondi attends to the Sophia brand, special projects, and custom winemaking clients.