A NorCal boy born and raised, Tom began his wine career when he started traveling to wine country tasting rooms when he was 18—trying desperately to look older than he was. It worked, and his wine education was underway. He started in wine public relations in 1990 and founded Wark Communications, a public and media relations consultancy, in 1994. Since then, he has worked with numerous wineries, retailers, associations, wine tech companies, and others to help them hone and communicate their mission and message to the media and consumers. Whether helping retailers navigate the politics of regulation or promoting the “castration” of a wine label, Wark brings a wealth of experience to the job of helping clients tell their stories. Along the way, Tom became known as a strong advocate for both wine consumers and regulatory reform. In 2004, he started his wine blog, Fermentation, which has been published consistently and now resides on Substack. He still occasionally sneaks into tasting rooms.