RICHARD G. PETERSON

The Winemaker

In this deeply moving personal memoir, Peterson takes readers behind the scenes of the most signifi cant developments in the California wine industry over the last half

century. These engaging stories chronicle the people and events he encountered along the way −told with great humor and candor. The breadth of his winemaking

experience lends a fascinating perspective to the key roles he played in both large-scale commercial wineries and some of Napa Valley’s most coveted smaller labels. The Winemaker is a compelling read from the very fi rst page, as Peterson’s

own story−raised in the Midwest in the Great Depression−mirrors this period of exciting and unprecedented change. The deeply human, agrarian values that

emerge have clearly infl uenced his personal story in both wine and life.,

ANTONIO GALLONI founder of VINOUS

The fascinating story of a young man born in the Midwest at the depth of the American Depression, whose early passion for chemistry led him to the very epicenter of California’s exciting wine renaissance.

Dick Peterson’s fi rsthand storytelling is both witty and engaging, as it astutely chronicles over 50 years of astonishing change in the California wine industry.

His remarkable journey began at E. & J. Gallo in 1958, where he applied his scientifi c knowledge to help create highly successful wines for a newly emerging American wine-drinking market. Peterson’s skill as a biochemist with a good palate helped develop that wine market. Pertinent aspects of wine chemistry are covered with great clarity and insight along the way.

Many of the industry’s most important personalities are intimately described, including the legendary Andre Tchelistcheff, a four decade mentor and friend, who Peterson replaced as Winemaster at Beaulieu Vineyards.

Challenging times undergone by some wineries are openly discussed by Peterson, as he reveals how both brilliant and disastrous business decisions impacted their eventual destinies. Lessons learned will resonate with many readers in the wine industry and beyond.

The Winemaker

$ 29.95

Dr. Richard Peterson is well-known in the California wine industry as an innovative winemaker, educator, international wine judge, viticulture and enology consultant, and expert witness in legal cases.

His qualifi cations include a BS in Chemical Technologyfrom Iowa State University, an MS in Food Science from UC Berkeley, and a PhD in Agricultural Chemistry from the University of California.

His rich career in the wine industry began in 1958 atE. & J. Gallo Winery in New Product Development.He then served as Winemaster of Beaulieu Vineyards in Rutherford, before becoming Winemaster and President of The Monterey Vineyard. Peterson created many new wines, including Lancers Vinho Branco in Portugal, Seagram’s fi rst wine cooler, and all the original Taylor California Cellars wines. He oversaw the 1986 Atlas Peak development, excavating one of California’s largest wine caves, and transforming bleak moonscape into a successful vineyard.

Peterson has been a member of The American Society for Enology and Viticulture since 1959, serving as president 1977-78. He was a longtime director of the Wine Institute and a founding member of the American Institute of Wine and Food, Society of Wine Educators, and the International Wine Academy.

A sought-after expert, he has taught and guest lectured at numerous universities. He is responsible for many wine industry innovations, including the Peterson steel barrel pallet, now used by most wineries in America and many around the world.

Printed in China

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meadowlark publishing

The Winemaker

9 781938 010132

52995>ISBN 978-1-938010-13-2

$29.95

* MEADOWLARK PUBLISHING * PRESS RELEASE *

WINS A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL BOOK

AWARD

The Winemaker by California wine industry veteran Richard G. Peterson, has won a “Gourmand Award,” an International Food and Wine publishing competition. The Gourmand Awards are the brain child of Edouard Cointreau, of the famous spirits family, who have been growing grapes for 746 years. He started the awards in 1995 to honour the world’s best food and wine books, magazines, and television shows produced each year. Cointreau describes the event as the “Oscars of Food and Wine with the spirit of the Olympic Games.”

The annual “Best in the World” award ceremony takes place in a different location around the globe each year. Over the years the event has taken place in many European locations known for gastronomy, as well as the Far East. In 2016, the event was held on 28th May in the Yantai Wine Bay area of China, where impressive new Chinese winery chateaux have been constructed. Neither Peterson nor Gaye Allen were able to attend this year, so Beatrice Cointreau, Edouard’s sister (who has a winery in California) accepted the award on their behalf. She also made a short speech about the progress made in recent decades by the California wine industry.

ABOUT THE ANNUAL

GOURMAND AWARDS

“”

I have read The Winemaker several times. It should be required reading for all winemakers, all who want to invest in wine, and all wine writers. Some authors are known for one Masterpiece, and Richard Peterson can equally be proud of his wines and his book. This is now one of my 5 favorite wine books – I have over 1400 in my library in California.

Edouard Cointreau, President and Founder of the annual Gourmand Awards

TheWinemakerRichard G. Peterson

PUBLISHED IN AUGUST 2015

written by Legendary Winemaker

by California Publisher Gaye Allen ofMEADOWLARK PUBLISHING

• 209 countries take part today (4 more than the 2012 Olympic Games!)

• Competition is open to large and small pub-lishers, authors, individuals and institutions.

• The Awards judges receive more than 10,000 food and wine books annually .

THE WINEMAKER Richard G. Peterson/Meadowlark Publishingwon in the “W4-1 Special Awards” category.10 other books were short listed in this section, with books from Australia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Sweden and China.

the objective is “To increase knowledge of, and respect for,

food and wine culture, which promotes peace.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dick Peterson is well-known in the California wine industry as an innovator, winemaker, educator, international wine judge, viticulture/enology consultant and expert witness in legal cases. After earning a BS in Chemical Technology, a MS in Food Science and a PhD in Agricultural Chemistry, he started his working life in 1958 with E. & J. Gallo Winery in Research and New Product Development. A decade, later he replaced the legendary Andre Tchelistcheff as winemaster at Beaulieu Vineyards.

He is responsible for creating many well-loved American wines and brands such as Lancers Vinho Branco, Monterey Vineyard and all the original Taylor California Cellars wines. He oversaw the development of Atlas Peak Vineyards, excavating some of California’s largest wine caves.

He is a former president of The American Society for Enology & Viticulture, director of the Wine Institute, and founding member of the The Society of Wine Educators and the American Institute for Wine and Food.

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

Gaye Allen, founder of Meadowlark Publishing, began her career in London working for prestigious publishing houses such as Mitchell Beazley, where she designed books for leading wine writers, including Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson. “Those were fun days where literally 1000’s of bottles of fine wines from around the globe were sent in for us to taste ... little did I ever imag-ine working in rainy old London, that I too, would one day live in wine country.”

The opportunity came when San Francisco based Weldon Owen Publishers head-hunted Allen to be their Creative Director. Her first task was to overhaul the design of Willams-Sonoma cookbooks which founder Chuck Willams thought needed a totally fresh eye. Allen worked closely with Willams for 10 years and found him a real inspiration and “delightfully exacting”.

In the 10 years at Weldon Owen, Allen won other Gourmand Awards, including one for the design of a color edition of the 1931 Classic The Joy of Cooking. She also created an interior design series for Pottery Barn, which has sold in over 30 countries.

For more information about MEADOWLARK PUBLISHING contact GAYE ALLEN • gaye@meadowlark publishing. com • 707 928 4590

In 2005 Allen bought a property in Lake County, 15 miles north of Calistoga, and in 2010 “the pull of nature” convinced her to quit the city and start her own publishing company. One of her first projects was to produce a Wine Guide to Lake County “There wasn’t one so I wrote one!” The incredible volcanic geology and history of the area drew her in.

That book also lead her to Dick Peterson whom she met at a book signing at Lake County’s Hawk and Horse Vineyards, for whom Peterson consults. “I’ve just finished writing a book,” he casually mentioned- “Can you send me a chapter?” Allen asked - He sent a few - which she devoured on a trip back to England, then returned excitedly to help him with the project.

“I loved the way Dick’s book can be read on so many different levels. It’s a very touching and funny personal memoir, but it also chronicles a time of immense change in America, and the wine industry in particular. For me one of the most compelling things about this book is that it offers a window into wine that the lay person would never get to know otherwise – in this case the perspective of a scientist and winemaker.” Dick Peterson is such a Renaissance man you could learn a lot about a lot of things by reading this book. As Edouard Cointreau says – everyone interested in wine should read this book!.

T he book is the fascinating story of a young man born in the depths of the American Depression whose passion for chemistry led him to the very epicenter of the California wine renaissance: a witty and engaging account of life behind the

scenes by a leading winemaker for some of California best known wine labels.

With candor and fascinating detail, Peterson chronicles how an industry completely decimated by Prohibition was to transform itself with incredible speed into a world-famous wine region. His remarkable journey led him to work alongside many of the most colorful and legendary names who shaped the California wine industry. His extrordinary depth of experience sheds an entertaining, candid light on the wine industry’s path to success.

ABOUT THE BOOK

available now at www.richardGpeterson.com • telephone: 707-738-1812

RETAIL PRICE $29.95 HARDBACK , 400 pages, 106 photographs, ISBN # 978-1-938010-13-2