Tomato 2.0

A heirloom tomato bonds Sunol farmer Fred Hample and Wente Vineyard's chef Arthur Wall

Annabelle Breakey

When diners bite into an Arroyo Rojo at the Restaurant at Wente Vineyards, they are tasting something truly unique. These specially grown—and named—tomatoes are the result of a bond between chef Arthur Wall and Sunol farmer Fred Hample.

“When I first saw Fred’s tomatoes, I freaked out,” says Wall, describing the produce from Hample’s Baia Nicchia Farm. The then-unnamed Arroyo Rojo made a particular impression. “It had a great color, fading from red to a striped yellowish pattern, and a nicely round ox heart shape—perfect for presentation. It also had a juicy flesh with structure, a nice balance of fruit and acidity.”

Hample, who has a Ph.D. in plant biology and left a career in the biotech industry to grow tomatoes full-time, had been nurturing this special tomato—and its unique genetic code, crossbred from heirloom seeds—through numerous growing cycles.

“Since I picked up on what he was trying to accomplish, Fred asked if I would like to name it. It was a very cool moment shared between a farmer and a chef,” says Wall, who used the restaurant’s Arroyo Road location to brand the special tomato. “I wanted to associate it with the vineyard of course, so the ‘Arroyo Rojo’ was born.”