No Wimpy Wines

Joel Peterson is the founder and winemaker of Ravenswood Winery. After working with Joseph Swan, one of the masters of California Zinfandel, Joel founded Ravenswood in 1976, producing 327 cases of Old Vine Zinfandel. Ravenswood now has a world-wide reputation and is one of the largest, most successful, highly-rated, Zinfandel producers in California. Joel works with 100+ growers that provide grapes for Ravenswood annually, consulting on irrigation practices, cultivation practices, cropping levels and other vineyard management issues. Joel’s diverse background includes Bio-medical research, wine writing, and consulting. Joel is a current member and former president of the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance (S.V.V.G.A.) and is on the Board of Directors for the Sonoma County Vintners. He is an advisor to the Historic Vineyard Society. He is a founding Board member and former two-time President of Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (Z.A.P.). Joel has appeared in many Zinfandel forums and is the long time moderator for “Flights,” ZAP’s Zinfandel educational lecture series. Joel has also worked as a Senior Vice President with Constellation Wines US. In 2011, Joel was inducted into the Vintner’s Hall of Fame and in 2013 he was voted as one of the “20 Most Admired People in the North American Wine Industry” by Vineyard and Winery Management Magazine. Joel’s latest project is Once & Future Wines, which focuses on making small-production hand-crafted single vineyard wines that honor the distinctive typicity of site. In 2006 Joel’s son Morgan followed his father’s lead and founded Bedrock Wine Company, which has become another highly successful California Zinfandel and Heritage wine producer.