Alison Thomas
Alison Thomson grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, surrounded by a vibrant food wine and culture. From a young age, she loved to explore nature and was fascinated by the foods and cultures of other countries. These interests led her to pursue her Biology and Italian language while at UC Santa Barbara.
After spending time studying abroad in Italy, Alison returned to California where she worked in tasting rooms to gain a deeper understanding of wine and the wine industry. It wasn’t long before she realized a career in winemaking would bring together her interests in science, agriculture, food and culture. In 2004 she enrolled in the Viticulture Master of Science program at UC Davis.
Photo by: Heather Daenitz
Upon graduation, Alison had successful stints at Ettore Germano, Sine Qua Non, Palmina Winery, Samsara Wine Co, and JCR Vineyard before landing at Two Wolves Wine. In 2013, with the simple goal of crafting vibrant, exciting, balanced wines made by her own two hands, Thomson established L.A. Lepiane wines. Under her own label, she works with Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Grenache grown in some of the top vineyards in Santa Barbara county. Her low intervention wines are a nod to her great-grandfather, Luigi A. Lepiane, who came to California from Piane Crati, Italy with the dream of making a better life for his family. Just after the end of prohibition in 1935, he established a winery in Hollister, California.
When not in the cellar or vineyard, Alison can be found in her garden or at the beach with her husband George and their two children, Julia (7) and Mick (5).
Photo by: Jeffery Young