As just announced minutes ago.
Tom
Paul Draper Ridge CEO & Winemaker to Retire
Cupertino, CA – 80 years – It seems a most celebratory age to step back. We have two of the finest winemakers and one of the most exceptional vineyard directors, who have each been with me for more than twenty years. Though I have done all major tasting with Eric Baugher, John Olney and David Gates, the wines of the last ten years are theirs, not mine, so you already know the quality and style of the vintages to come.
I grew up on an eighty-acre farm west of Chicago. After attending the Choate School and receiving a degree in philosophy from Stanford University, I lived for two and a half years in northern Italy, putting in the military service still required by the draft. Fortunately after attending Monterey Language School I was assigned to work as a civilian in liaison in the Veneto. I went on to attend the University of Paris and traveled extensively in France. With my good friend, Fritz Maytag, I re-opened a historic bodega on the southern coast range of Chile. We made three vintages of old vine, non-irrigated cabernet from several single vineyards before returning to California in early 1969.
Dave Bennion, Charlie Rosen, and Hew Crane, the three scientists from Stanford Research Institute (SRI) who had reopened the old Monte Bello Winery as Ridge Vineyards in 1962 had heard me speak about Chile and our traditional methods. What I described fit with what they were doing and their idea that wine was something “real” and a perfect corrective to the “virtual” world that they were pioneering in their work at SRI. In offering me the job of winemaker they had me taste the ’62 and ’64 Monte Bellos made from cabernet replanted in the 1940’s at Monte Bello. They had never made wine before and had simply picked the grapes on a Saturday, crushed them to a small fermentor adding no yeast and went back to their jobs. They had placed a grid to submerge the grapes and came back the next weekend to find them fermenting nicely. A week later the wine was dry and they pressed the grapes, adding back the press wine and a minimum of SO2.
The wine went through a full, natural secondary fermentation and what I tasted with them six years later were the finest, most complex California wines I had ever had, including the best known wines of the 40’s and 50’s. They had simply not gotten in the way. It was clear they had an exceptional site and I knew if I joined them I would have the chance to make some very fine wine.
My hope is that our focus on the preindustrial techniques that had made the finest wines of Europe from the early 19th century to the early 1960’s and in California from the 1890’s until 1920 and again in the late 30’s has been a contribution to the California wine industry. It certainly has led to great success for Ridge. We were the first of the small, fine California producers to sell a significant part of production on the East Coast of the United States as well as export wine to Europe in the early ‘70’s. We exported the 1971 Monte Bello to both the UK and France and today export to over 40 countries.
In the early 70’s the quality of the wines being made from the Monte Bello vineyard caught the attention of Stephen Spurrier who included the 1971 Monte Bello in the now famous Paris tasting of 1976. In the thirty year repeat organized in London and California by Spurrier with the original wines, the 1971 Monte Bello came in first by 18 points over the second place wine. We might have been satisfied with producing a Monte Bello that could often match the best of Bordeaux, and given our more favorable climate, make more consistently fine wines. However, discovering the quality of traditionally made old vine zinfandel convinced me to focus as well on the handling of the zinfandel grapes and wine with the care that had been reserved until then for cabernet.
From the mid ‘60’s on we had sought out old vine zinfandel that had the potential to produce wines of complexity and distinct character. We went on to pioneer zinfandel as fine wine. Our aspirations were helped along when Jancis Robinson in her 1989 book “Vintage Timecharts” chose the Geyserville vineyard as well as the Monte Bello vineyard for her selection of the seventy finest vineyards of the world. We were working with a grape that nowhere in the world was used to make fine wine so the match of site, varietal and the quality of the winemaking were essential.
For being around so long and staying true to our traditional approach I’ve received several awards including joining Robert Mondavi and André Tchelistcheff as the only Americans honored as the Decanter Man of the Year. In addition the Wine Spectator’s Distinguished Service Award, and the “Winemakers’ Winemaker Award” from the Institute of Masters of Wine —an award voted on by the winemakers who are also Masters of Wine. I have been a long-time member of the Académie Internationale du Vin as well.
I feel I am passing on our vineyards and estate to members of my own family. I have had a great life pursuing my craft, my calling, for fifty years—three in Chile and forty-seven at Ridge. Although I am retiring, I will continue in my role as Chairman of the Board. In this capacity I can fully support this long planned transition.
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Management Succession Plan Announced
PAUL DRAPER RIDGE CEO AND WINEMAKER TO RETIRE
MARK VERNON TO BECOME CEO—DRAPER TO REMAIN AS CHAIRMAN
Ridge Vineyards has announced a succession plan effective July 1, 2016, that has been carefully thought through in consultation with Paul Draper to ensure the continued long term success of the company. The focus of the plan is to maintain continuity in all aspects of operations including the company’s long-term strategy of adhering to its traditional approach to producing some of the world’s most highly acclaimed fine wine.
Chief Executive Officer Paul Draper, who joined Ridge as Winemaker in 1969, celebrated his 80th birthday in March and decided it was the perfect time to step back and pass the responsibilities for day-to-day management of the company to 17-year Ridge veteran Mark Vernon. Mr. Vernon joined Ridge as General Manager in 1998, and has been Ridge’s President & Chief Operating Officer for the past seven years. He will become Ridge’s Chief Executive Officer. “Mark has contributed tremendously to the smooth operation and success of Ridge as a business and deeply understands and supports our approach of making single vineyard, traditionally made fine wine.” said Mr. Draper. “I have full confidence in Mark’s ability to keep Ridge moving forward with the core values that have brought us so much success in our first fifty years” continued Mr. Draper. Although retiring, Mr. Draper will ensure a smooth transition while he continues in his role as Chairman of the Board.
Eric Baugher, who joined Ridge in 1994 and has been Vice President and Winemaker of the Monte Bello Winery since 2001 will be promoted to Chief Operating Officer and Winemaker for the Monte Bello Winery. John Olney, who joined Ridge in 1996 and has been Vice President and Winemaker of the Lytton Springs Winery since 2001 will be promoted to Chief Operating Officer and Winemaker for the Lytton Springs Winery. “Eric and John have been running their respective wineries with my guidance for many years and though we have made the major tasting decisions together, they have been the ones managing all of the day to day winemaking decisions for the past decade. These are their wines, not mine, and these wines have achieved the most consistent high quality of any decade of our 50 year history. “When it comes to decisions about Ridge’s wines, going forward Eric and John will have the ultimate authority to decide which vineyards we work with, our wine making approach as well as decisions about quality and quantity of production” continued Mr. Draper.
David Amadia who joined Ridge in 2005 and has been Vice President of Sales & Marketing since 2009, will be promoted to President. In addition to Sales & Marketing, Mr. Amadia will be responsible for managing Ridge’s Finance, IT, Customer Service, Warehousing/Fulfilment, and Administration functions. David will have primary responsibility for managing the company’s budget process and monitoring its P&L results. “David has built a highly regarded and successful sales and marketing team at Ridge and has proven himself to be a tremendously skilled manager. Under David’s leadership the company has enjoyed growth and sales success in direct to consumer, domestic wholesale, as well as in over 40 international markets” explained Mr. Draper.
David Gates, who joined Ridge in 1989 as Vineyard Manager and who has been Vice President of Vineyard Operations since 2001 will be promoted to Senior Vice President of Vineyard Operations. “David is one of the most knowledgeable and respected vineyardists in California. To attempt great wine you must start with the highest quality grapes. David first mastered the approach necessary to grow the finest Bordeaux varietals at Monte Bello and went on to become the leading expert in growing the fine Zinfandel. Since the early nineties David’s expertise has led to a long series of great vintages” said Mr. Draper.
Nicole Buttitta will be promoted to Senior Vice President of Human Resources and is also Ridge’s Corporate Secretary. Ms. Buttitta joined Ridge in 2002 as Director of Human Resources and has been Vice President of Human resources since 2006. “Nicole has done an outstanding job ensuring that we have one of the most highly skilled and motivated workforces in the wine industry and has brilliantly championed our humanistic approach to employee relations,” commented Mr. Vernon.
Ryan Moore, who joined Ridge in 2010 as Director of Direct to Consumer Sales will be promoted to Vice President of Consumer Sales. Ryan oversees all aspects of Ridge’s direct to consumer sales including our two tasting rooms, our wine clubs, consumer events, and telephone and web sales. “Since Ryan’s arrival at Ridge our direct to consumer revenue has grown by 74% which is among the highest rates of growth in the industry” said David Amadia. “He is one of the most knowledgeable, capable and respected direct to consumer marketers in the industry” added Mr. Amadia.
Michael Torino, with eight exceptional years with Ridge as Eastern Regional Sales Manager for the wholesale channel will be promoted to Vice President of US Wholesale Sales. “Mike is the consummate sales professional” said David Amadia. “He has built strong relationships with distributors, restaurants, and retail accounts and is highly regarded among his peers” continued Mr. Amadia.
“Ridge has worked hard to successfully attract and develop a strong group of talented individuals that are passionate about fine wine and the philosophy of Ridge. I am confident the time is right to step back from day to day management of the company knowing that Ridge is in such good hands. As Board Chairman I will insure that the new leadership team has the resources and support they need to carry our success far into the future” concluded Mr. Draper.
