Paul Draper (winemaker)

Paul Draper
Paul Draper thieving wine from a barrel at Ridge Monte Bello.
Born1936
Evanston, Illinois
Occupationwinemaker

Paul Draper (born March 10, 1936) is a California winemaker who has been the chief winemaker at Ridge Vineyards in California since 1969. Without any formal training in winemaking, Draper first gained recognition for his 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon when it placed fifth at the Judgment of Paris wine tasting.[1] Draper has played a significant role in the history of California wine through his pioneering work in popularizing "vineyard-designated" wines as well as instigating the resurgence of old vine Zinfandel.[2] Along with Ravenswood Winery's Joel Peterson, Draper is considered one of the most important figures in the history of Californian Zinfandel, rescuing the grape from obscurity and demonstrating its full potential as a serious wine.[3] Draper was featured in a short film titled Terroir and directed by Christopher McGilvray which was shown at the 2017 Cinequest Film Festival.[4]

  1. ^ G. Taber The Judgment of Paris: California vs France pg 181-182 Simon & Schuster ISBN 0-7432-4751-5
  2. ^ Laube, J. Wine Spectator (November 15, 2000). "Paul Draper". Archived from the original on July 23, 2008. Retrieved December 17, 2007.
  3. ^ Oz Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 287-291 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0-15-100714-4
  4. ^ Gelico, Jessica (January 25, 2017). "Cinequest Film & VR Festival 2017 Bay Area Artists and Stories" (PDF). Cinequest Film Festival. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 12, 2017. Retrieved March 8, 2017.