Drink to your health, says Dr. Fogarty Drink to your health, says Dr. Fogarty (September 18, 2002)

By Jane Knoerle

"A glass of wine is the equivalent of an aspirin a day, and tastes better. Wine is a health food in liquid form," says Dr. Thomas Fogarty of Portola Valley -- heart surgeon, inventor, founder of companies, Stanford professor, venture capitalist, and winery owner.

He explains: "The nitric oxide extracted from the skins of red grapes proves to be the active ingredient that decreases the level of cholesterol and bad lipids, and increases the level of good lipids. Elements from grape skin extract also relax the blood vessels, decrease the tendency for blood to clot and create a blood pressure-lowering effect."

Dr. Fogarty is a man who has succeeded in many fields and received many honors. "Tom Fogarty epitomizes American ingenuity and has made a lasting and beneficial impact on society," said Lester Thurow, chairman of the prize board that awarded him the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize for invention and innovation in 2000.

Tom Fogarty was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1934. He became fascinated with the way things work at an early age. His dad died when he was 6, and young Tom helped his mother with repairs around the house. "When things broke, I tried to figure how to fix them." He also designed and made model airplanes.

He didn't think about becoming a doctor until his senior year in high school, although he started working in a hospital in eighth grade. His first duties were cleaning stomach pumps and sterilizing surgical instruments.

A born tinkerer, he made his first invention when he was 15. His automatic centrifugal clutch became standard for motorcycles and motor scooters all over the world.

He invented the Fogarty catheter, the little balloon that can be inserted into a vein, inflated and used to remove a blood clot or blockage without major surgery, in 1963 while he still was a scrub technician at the hospital -- long before he was qualified to use it. Today he holds more than 100 patents.

A graduate of University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Dr. Fogarty completed his residency at University of Oregon Medical School, where he met his future wife, Rosalee, who was working in medical records.

The family moved to California in 1969 when Dr. Fogarty became chief resident and instructor in surgery at Stanford Medical Center.

His interest in winemaking came about through Portola Valley neighbor George Burtness, who had a vineyard and small winery, Nepenthe Cellars, where he went to help out and observe. "It started out as a hobby, and there was a challenge to it," he says.

As his professional career advanced, he remained close to the winery, seeing it grow from the modest cabin where he pressed his first barrel of zinfandel to today's 350-acre estate and entertainment complex.

Dr. Fogarty and his wife, Rosalee, live on the property, where they raised their four children: Thomas, Patrick, Heather and Jonathan. All the boys have been involved in the winery at one time. Jon, who studied agricultural management, now works there, dealing with compliance issues with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

Both Jon and Tommy are professional race car drivers.

Dr. Fogarty's many enterprises now occupy a large office space in the Ladera Professional Building. He travels a great deal giving lectures and teaching at other institutions.

He never wants to abandon invention, he says, but he is spending more time on "the medical device side. You don't just invent something; you have to nurture it."

The winery will always be important in his busy life. He visits the winery every day, and on weekends he stops in the tasting room to chat with visitors.

After almost 30 years, he is still fascinated with winemaking. "There's a craft and witchcraft to it. It's a challenge and you never figure it out completely."