2000 Distinguished Service Award: Paul Draper
Oct 12, 2007
Paul Draper - 2000
Paul Draper helped lead Californians to the concept of the single-vineyard wine, choosing the underdog Zinfandel grape as his first vehicle of expression. Draper’s wines at Ridge Vineyards are robust, yet refined and graceful. Self-educated as a winemaker, Draper landed at Ridge in 1969 with the charter to upgrade the wines and expand production. There, he focused on the vineyard’s oldest vines, establishing a pattern that numerous other vintners would emulate. Monte Bello is the home Cabernet vineyard, but Ridge is just as famous and admired for its Zinfandels, which are drawn from a multitude of sources. Photographed in 1998.
