A candidate for the greatest wineMaker of the New World, Paul Draper has been running things at Ridge since 1969. His talents with Zinfandel are legendary but it is with his mighty Monte Bello Cabernet-based blend that the full picture of the man's genius is revealed. Now regarded as probably the New World's greatest red wine, Monte Bello is a massively complex mouthful that is a ringer for First Growth Claret rather than a Californian beasts.
Paul Draper's philosophy of terroir is uncompromising - his quote of 'wanting to make wines that taste of the area they came from rather than the people who made them' shows just what the man is about. American oak is used rather than French, and intense analysis of every part of the winemaking procedure is the norm at Ridge.
The fact that Paul is a friendly and sincere man who has no problem with personally showing visitors round the place should demonstrate his qualities. His apperance at the Martinez Ridge dinner, where no fewer than six of his wines were shown, was memorable for everyone who attended such was his relaxed yet highly informative attitude.