Paul Draper

Paul Draper is a renowned American winemaker, best known for his role at Ridge Vineyards in California. Born on March 10, 1936 in Evanston, Illinois, he grew up on a farm near Barrington, a suburb of Chicago. After attending the Choate School, he graduated from Stanford University with a degree in philosophy.

After graduating, Draper served in the U.S. Army in Italy, where he developed a passion for local culture, food and wine. He then studied French cuisine and nutrition at the Sorbonne in Paris. Back in the U.S., he worked as a cellar assistant at Chateau Souverain in Napa Valley. Later, he traveled to Chile on a Peace Corps mission, where he rented a Chilean winery with Stanford friend Fritz Maytag. There, he gained hands-on experience of winemaking in a low-tech environment.

In 1969, Draper joined Ridge Vineyards as cellar master. He modernized the facilities and focused on producing wines from unique vineyards, emphasizing the concept of terroir. His approach to natural winemaking, with minimal intervention, led to balanced, elegant wines. Under his direction, the 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon was ranked fifth at the 1976 Jugement de Paris, a blind tasting that put California wines in the spotlight against French wines.

Draper also played a key role in the renaissance of Zinfandel in California, demonstrating the grape's potential to produce quality wines. He sought out vineyards with old vines and produced wines reflecting their unique character.

After a career spanning nearly five decades at Ridge, Draper retired as CEO and Cellar Master in 2016, but continues to serve as Chairman of the Board.

Throughout his career, Draper has received numerous awards, including the Wine Spectator's Distinguished Service Award in 2000, the Wein Gourmet Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005 and the San Francisco Chronicle's Winemaker of the Year in 2006.