Dr. Richard Peterson is one of California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemakers, blending scientific rigor with creative innovation to help shape the modern wine industry. Born in Iowa during the Great Depression, he went on to earn a Ph.D. in agricultural chemistry from UC Berkeley in 1958 before beginning a transformative career at E. & J. Gallo Winery as Research Director.

In 1968, the legendary André Tchelistcheff recruited Peterson to Beaulieu Vineyards, where he served as Winemaker for six vintages. He later became CEO of The Monterey Vineyard and, in 1986, took the helm at Atlas Peak Vineyards in Napa Valley. Beyond leadership roles, Peterson was an inventor whose contributions became industry standards: he demonstrated that topping barrels was unnecessary if handled correctly, designed the ubiquitous steel barrel rack, and introduced the “bung-and-roll” method to prevent barrel bungs from drying out. His innovations reflected a philosophy he often called “common sense winemaking,” the title of his influential column in Wines & Vines magazine during the 1970s.

Peterson also developed his own label, Richard G. Peterson Wines, focusing on Pinot Noir and Brut Rosé, and remained active in Napa Valley through consulting, teaching, and writing. In 2015, he published his autobiography The Winemaker, chronicling both his personal journey and the rebirth of California wine after Prohibition. His archives, preserved at the UC Davis Library, document a lifetime of curiosity, experimentation, and leadership. A visionary, Peterson’s legacy endures not only in the wineries he guided but in the technical practices that became integral to winemaking around the world.

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