Origin of Toad - “Dr. Toad”

We first met Toad in the late 1990s on a visit to the "World Headquarters" of Toad Hollow Vineyards — at the time, a beat-up doublewide trailer on the edge of the vineyard. Todd Williams (aka Dr. Toad) was the proprietor, and he hosted us for tastings in what he called the Tasting Room: a cramped, cluttered office, streaming with dachshunds. We were instantly taken with his storytelling and his humor.

His generosity and magnanimous nature left such a lasting impression that we pilfered his moniker and christened our New Jersey property Toad Hollow North. More than the name, though, we took inspiration from his warmth and wit, and have tried to channel both in our own attempts to entertain ever since.

When he passed in 2007, we learned that the nickname "Toad" had been given to him by his brother Robin — the comedian. In all our time with him, he never once sought to trade on his brother's fame. A true class act. RIP.