How did a physician get involved in winemaking?
Dr. Thomas J. Fogarty is an internationally recognized cardiovascular surgeon, inventor, entrepreneur, and vintner. He has founded or co-founded over 30 companies in the medical device or services field and is president of Fogarty Engineering, the laboratory from which many of his start-up products and companies originate. He is also proprietor of Thomas Fogarty Winery and Vineyard.
According to the Fogarty Winery and Vineyard website, Dr. Fogarty’s interest in the wine industry began in 1969 when he began teaching surgery at the Stanford University Medical Center. Intrigued by the creativity of winemaking, he would often help a Stanford colleague, who operated a small winery, with vineyard and cellar practices. His interest blossomed and he later purchased acreage in the Santa Cruz Mountains that eventually became part of what is now the Thomas Fogarty Winery and Vineyards. He built a small cellar on the property and began making wine with grapes purchased from nearby growers. He planted his first vines in 1978 and established a commercial winery in 1981. The estate now consists of 325 acres, 25 of which are under vine.
Dr. Fogarty views the process of winemaking as a science and wine “not . . . so much as an alcoholic beverage, but more as a health food.”
More information about this innovative physician can be found at the Thomas Fogarty Winery and Vineyard website.
