Tom Black is widely known around the U.S. (and beyond) for his passion for wine, his generosity and his loyalty. He was the Chairman of L'Ete Du Vin, the oldest wine auction in the U.S., in 1999, and has been a major contributor to this auction over the years. L'Ete du Vin raises money for the fight against cancer.

Tom Black is known for sharing the most incredible bottles from his cellars with winemakers and winelovers from around the world fortunate enough to visit him in Nashville. A typical quote would be: "please pick something interesting in my cellar and let's drink it", or, "what would you like to drink tonight?" And he means anything, be it a great vintage of Champagne Salon, DRC, Leflaive, Vega Sicilia, etc.

In 2006, Tom Black was responsible for orchestrating a lot for L'Ete du Vin that included 48 vintages of Château Palmer and Alter Ego going back to 1910. The lot sold for $48K. The happy bidders gathered in Nashville earlier on 10 March 07 to participate in the largest tasting of Palmer in the U.S. It took place at the Sunset Grill over two sessions − brunch and dinner − and generated much talk and glee among the attendees. (Notes for the older vintages can be found on nashvillewinepress.com).