Paul Draper 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. 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. 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. Draper was featured in a short film titled Terroir and directed by Christopher McGilvray which was shown at the 2017 Cinequest Film Festival.
B.R. Cohn Winery is a winery in Sonoma Valley, California in the United States.
Spencer Roloson Winery is a winery in St. Helena, California, United States It produces wines from the volcanic California hillsides of the St. Helena and Clear Lake areas. It was founded in 1998 by winemaker Samuel Spencer and businesswoman Wendy Roloson with the goal of creating a premium winery. Focusing on Rhone and Spanish varietals, they specialize in single vineyard estate bottlings of Syrah, Viognier and Tempranillo.
The Mendocino County wine is an appellation that designates wine made from grapes grown mostly in Mendocino County, California. The region is part of the larger North Coast AVA and one of California's largest and most climatically diverse wine growing regions. Mendocino County is one of the northernmost commercial wine grape regions in the state with two distinct climate zones separated by the Mendocino Range. Ten American Viticultural Areas have been designated within Mendocino County. Mendocino is one of the leading wine growing regions for organically produced wine grapes. Nearly 25% of the acreage in Mendocino County is grown organically. In 2004, the residents of the county voted to become the first GMO-free county in the United States in an initiative that was supported by many of the county's largest wineries. The county's widespread focus on organic viticulture has inspired journalists to describe it as "California's organic wine Mecca".
Twisted Oak Winery is a family-owned boutique winery in Vallecito, California specializing in wine made from grape varieties native to the Mediterranean regions of western Europe. The winery is located on a hilltop at 2280 ft above sea level in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and most of the grapes for the wines are sourced from nearby vineyards in Calaveras County. The winery name and logo design are derived from a California Blue Oak tree on the property.
The Sierra Foothills AVA is an American Viticultural Area in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in the U.S. state of California in the United States. Wine grapes were introduced to the area in the nineteenth century during the California Gold Rush. Over 100 wineries are located within its boundaries.
California wine production has a rich viticulture history since 1680 when Spanish Jesuit missionaries planted Vitis vinifera vines native to the Mediterranean region in their established missions to produce wine for religious services. In the 1770s, Spanish missionaries continued the practice under the direction of the Father Junípero Serra who planted California's first vineyard at Mission San Juan Capistrano.
The Rhone Rangers are a group of American winemakers who promote the use of grape varieties from the Rhône Valley. They are mostly based on the West Coast, particularly California, and have created a not-for-profit organization for the promotion of wines containing at least 75% of the 22 Rhône grape varieties. The name is a pun on The Lone Ranger, and was coined by Wine Spectator to describe Randall Grahm for their 1989 April 15 issue, which featured Grahm dressed as the Lone Ranger under the title "The Rhône Ranger" (singular). The name was subsequently used for other winemakers.
L'Aventure, or Stephan Vineyards, is a California wine estate producing red wine blends of the Bordeaux and Rhône grape varieties. The winery is located southwest of Paso Robles, California, along the Pacific Coast in the Santa Lucia Mountain range.
Alban Vineyards is a California wine estate producing various Rhône style blends and varietal wines. The winery is located in Edna Valley, near Arroyo Grande in the southern corner of San Luis Obispo County.
Sean Haley Thackrey was an American winemaker based in the town of Bolinas in Marin County, California. Prior to winemaking, he was a director of an art gallery. Thackrey has been described as having been an unconventional winemaker who did pioneering work in promoting California Syrah.
Adelaida Vineyards & Winery is a family-owned and operated winery that was named after a 19th-century settlement in the mountains of west Paso Robles, California. Situated at 2,000 feet (610 m) of elevation and 14 miles (23 km) from the Pacific Ocean, the terrain of the Adelaida, California district is marked by ancient calcareous soils, diurnal temperature variations of nearly 50 °F (10 °C), and warm, dry growing seasons. Adelaida Vineyards & Winery produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot noir, Syrah, Rhône blends, Zinfandel and other wines from the Paso Robles AVA.
Boushey Vineyard is a grape-growing estate located in the Yakima Valley AVA, north of Grandview, Washington. Grapes grown in the vineyard have been used to produce some of the most critically acclaimed Washington wines with the name Boushey regularly being featured on vineyard designated wines. Paul Gregutt, wine writer for the Seattle Times and Wine Enthusiast, list Boushey as one of the "top ten" vineyards in the entire state. The vineyard is owned and managed by viticulturist Dick Boushey who was honored in 2002 by the Washington State Wine Commission as Washington's "Grower of the Year" and in 2007 by Wine & Spirits as their "Grower of the Year". After Red Willow Vineyard, which was planted with David Lake and Mike Sauer, Boushey was one of the first Washington wine growers to plant Syrah. Today, Boushey Vineyard is considered by wine experts such as Jon Bonné to be "One of the state's top Syrah spots" with many Washington Syrahs made from Boushey's grape receiving critical acclaim.
Andrew Murray Vineyards is a family-owned winery located in Los Olivos, California. Nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley AVA of Santa Barbara County, it specializes in Rhône varieties Syrah, Grenache, Roussanne, Marsanne, and Grenache blanc.
Cline Cellars Winery is a family owned and operated winery located in the Carneros wine appellation of Sonoma County, California that specializes in Zinfandels,Rhône-style wines, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Carol Shelton is an American winemaker and entrepreneur. She has been called the most awarded winemaker in America and was the San Francisco Chronicle's Winemaker of the Year in 2005.
Ventimiglia Vineyard is a winery in Wantage Township in Sussex County, New Jersey. The vineyard was first planted in 2002, and opened to the public in 2008. Ventimiglia has 5 acres of grapes under cultivation, and produces 1,000 cases of wine per year. The winery is named after the family that owns it.
Nevada City Winery is the oldest winery in Nevada City, California, US. Located on Spring Street, its grapes are produced at one of the state's oldest vineyards. It was the first bonded winery to open in Nevada County following Prohibition in the United States. Founded in a garage as Snow Mountain Winery in 1980, it removed to the Miners Foundry Garage in 1982. The original Nevada City Winery was founded in the late 1800s on Spring Street behind the National Hotel.
The Zinfandel Advocates and Producers(ZAP) is a consortium of over 200 winemakers and grape growers, as well as thousands of consumers, with the purpose of advocating, preserving, and educating about the Zinfandel grape. Started in 1991, the organizational structure of combining wine enthusiasts with wine producers served as a successful template for other wine-related organizations, such as the Rhone Rangers. ZAP is reported to be one of the largest consumer-based wine advocacy groups in the world.
Phil Coturri is an American viticulturalist. As a vineyard manager, Coturri has been recognized as pioneering organic and biodynamic farming in California. He is the chief executive officer of Enterprise Vineyard Management and co-owner of Winery Sixteen 600.
