Paul Hobbs began his career as a winemaker at Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa Valley in 1978. Over the next 25 years, he honed his skills and expertise at Mondavi, Opus One, Simi Winery in Sonoma County, and as a winemaking consultant in Chile and Argentina. During this time, Paul frequently traveled to the major wine regions of Europe, where he gained additional skills and ideas. Paul established Paul Hobbs Winery in California in 1991, Viña Cobos in Argentina in 1999, and Crossburn Winery in California in 2000. Growing up with 11 children, Paul's passion for vineyards began in 1969 when the first grapes were planted on his family's farm in upstate New York. Seeing his dedication to work, Paul's father quickly made him head of viticulture. Paul first tasted and experienced wines from around the world while attending the University of Notre Dame. This experience sparked his passion for his lifelong career as a winemaker. In 1975, he enrolled in a Masters in Food Science at UC Davis's Enology Department. His master's thesis, written on oak barrel aging, garnered considerable attention from the premium wine community. Even today, Paul's knowledge of barrels is unmatched, and it is no exaggeration to say that he is a master of barrel wines. The late Robert Mondavi, who recognized Paul's talent, immediately hired him as a research technician. In 1979, Paul was promoted to winemaker at the winery. In 1981, he joined the winemaking team at Opus One, a position he held for four years. In 1985, Paul joined the historic Simi Winery in Sonoma as assistant winemaker. One of his first tasks was to create a new style of Cabernet Sauvignon. By treating the fermentation and fruit with care and gentleness, Paul was able to produce richer, more supple wines that caught the attention of critics and consumers alike. In 1989, he became Vice President and Winemaker, his first opportunity to lead the winemaking program of a premium winery in California. In 1991, together with several partners, he founded Paul Hobbs Winery in Sonoma, specializing in craft wines and single vineyard wines from Napa and Sonoma. The winery, designed by a leading architect, was completed in 2003 and surrounds the winery on 14 acres of land planted to Pinot Noir, named "Lindsay". In 1999, Paul founded Viña Cobos Winery in Mendoza, Argentina, which produces ultra-premium wines from the highly acclaimed old vineyards of Marchioli Vineyards, as well as value-range, easy-drinking wines from Felino and Bramare. In 2000, he launched the Crossburn brand, and now he has built a winery in Sonoma, where he teaches young winemakers the know-how of winemaking. Paul was named "Winemaker of the Year" by the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine in December 2000, and "Most important winemaker in California" by The Quarterly Review of Wines in 2004. In 2013, he was named "The Steve Jobs of Wine" by the American economic magazine Forbes. Recently, he has also been cultivating Riesling in the Finger Lakes region of New York, where Paul is from.