Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Pearl and Nicola Tonthat.
Hi Nick and Nicola, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Nicola and I met in San Francisco during the summer of 2014, working in back-to-back cubicles for an entry-level sales job. We spent the majority of our day cold calling and emailing leads but shared a love of food, wine, and b2b boiler room DJ sets. I then decided to pursue my passion for winemaking, moving back to the Central Coast with my wife. In 2019, I went to work under Aaron Jackson of Aaron Wines/Aequorea Vineyards, while Nicola remained in SF, living the life, riding bikes, eating sushi, and selling software.
We remained friends over the years, mainly talking about the Dodgers and new music, until I told Nicola I had secured one of the first lots of Gamay at Nolan Vineyards in Santa Barbara County. Having been making traditional Paso wines for several years, I wanted to highlight some of the more unique varietals found in the region.
Nicola and I quickly partnered up and created Back-to-Back Wines with the goal of sharing fun wines with our community. Our philosophy for the wines is low and slow — we let the grapes do their thing and try to showcase the different styles in which light-bodied reds can be crafted. One of the things that makes our brand different is our non-traditional backgrounds in wine, coupled with the limited Asian American representation in the industry. We’re both really proud and thankful for how far we’ve come in such a short time. We wouldn’t be here without the support of our family and friends.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Starting a business is always challenging, let alone funding the business ourselves. We have to be acutely aware of opportunities, trade-offs, and investments, all while mitigating as much risk as possible.
Building a wine brand mainly over Zoom calls presents its own set of challenges. I reside in Paso Robles, and Nicola lives in Los Angeles. With both of us leading busy lives—myself with two toddlers—it requires extra planning and mindfulness to not only build the brand but even to meet in person. We’re so thankful for our supportive partners who help in any way they can.
Our first vintage in 2022 was a crazy weather year, with extreme heat followed by unexpected rain and finally more heat right before harvest. Nonetheless, we have been extremely pleased with the outcome of the wines.
While making the wines is challenging enough, bringing them to market is equally confusing in the current landscape of wine. Navigating licenses, permits, trademarks, and label regulations are tasks we’ve had to tackle on our own. We’ve been fortunate to have the guidance of experienced winemakers like Aaron, who have generously helped steer us in the right direction.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Nick: employee professional Nicola: employee professional artist creative, always interested in creative things
I come from a sales and business background and found winemaking to be my creative artistic outlet. I never saw myself as a creative person until I realized this was a space for me to create and share something that others can judge on their own. It has always been my first priority to make wines that I feel proud of and enjoy, and hope that consumers will feel the same way!
Nicola, too, comes from a sales background but grew up with more artistic hobbies. Photography has always been top of mind for him and continues to have a place in his life to this day, usually after he closes some deals and sells some wine.
What’s next?
We’ve just finished up our second vintage and are stoked to share our 2023 wines with everyone. It was a cooler year, which has resulted in wines that are not only fun but also elegant and pure. As we continue to grow, we’re actively looking to expand our portfolio, enter new markets, and maintain affordable prices for our small brand.
We’ve also been experimenting with non-alcoholic wines and hopefully launching something next year once we get it right. Having been deeply involved in production and launch efforts, we now can shift our focus to sales and brand growth this coming year. Launching our wine club has been on our ‘to-do’ list, yet we keep pushing the deadline further out, haha.
Lastly, we aim to make our wines as accessible as possible by keeping prices affordable despite the rising costs of production. We’re committed to making it easier for folks to try our wines and drink on a daily basis if they so choose.
Pricing:
- Retail $35 a bottle
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.b2bwines.co/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/b2bwines/?ref=khwpdnieeuf&hl=am-et
Image Credits
Taylor Lee
