786 is the street number of a grand Victorian-styled house in Sonoma, located within walking distance of the historic Sonoma Plaza. The Bancroft family began construction of the site in 1896 and by 1906 called it their home. One of the many prestigious visitors to the estate was General Vallejo, who gave a pepper tree as a gift of good luck to the Bancroft family. The pepper tree still stands on the grounds today. 786 Broadway is rich in history and folklore, as well as home to Halby Marketing, an importer and producer of fine wines since 1983. Thomas Halby's latest project is the 786 line of wines, which includes a Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon, all of which are available for under $15 a bottle. Please ask about the 786 wines at your local retail shop.
Thomas Halby began his wine career in 1967 at Inglenook Winery, California's first great wine estate. Later, he became Vice President of National Sales at Parrot Company, the marketing organization for California’s famed Wente Brothers and Louis Martini wineries. In 1983, Tom started his own venture, Halby Marketing, Inc., just off the town square in Sonoma. One of the company’s investors was the now infamous Jess Jackson, and the company’s first client was a small, then unknown, Lake County winery called Kendall-Jackson. Tom utilized his sales skills and industry knowledge to develop a national distribution network for Kendall-Jackson, and the incredible success of the winery is still unrivaled in the industry. After Kendall-Jackson assumed its own marketing, Tom played a key role in the success of many other important California wineries, including Clos Pegase, Robert Pepi, Steele, and Hanna, to name just a few. Tom also began importing carefully selected wines and spirits. The Halby Marketing portfolio now includes an impressive collection of products from Canada, France, New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, South Africa, and China, as well as his own private-label wine.