Paul Hobbs began his career as winemaker in 1978 at Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa Valley.
Over the next 25 years, he honed his skills and expertise for wineries such as Mondavi, Opus One and Simi Winery in Sonoma County, as well as as a winemaking consultant in Chile and Argentina.
During this time Paul made frequent visits to the major wine-producing regions of Europe, gathering further techniques and ideas.
Paul founded Paul Hobbs Winery in California in 1991, Viña Cobos in Argentina in 1999, and Crossburn Winery in California in 2000.
Growing up one of 11 siblings, Paul's interest in vineyards was sparked in 1969 when the first grapes were planted on his family's farm in upstate New York.
Seeing Paul's dedication to his work, his father quickly made him head of winemaking.
Paul first tasted and experienced world wines while attending the University of Notre Dame.
This ignited a passion for what would become his lifelong career as a brewer.
In 1975, he enrolled in a master's degree program in food science at UC Davis's Department of Enology.
His master's thesis on oak barrel ageing received considerable attention within the premium wine community.
Even today, Paul's knowledge of barrels is unmatched and it is no exaggeration to say he is a master of barrel-aged wines.
The late Robert Mondavi recognized Paul's talent and immediately hired him as a research engineer.
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 Sonoma's historic Simi Winery as assistant winemaker.
One of his first tasks was to create a new style of Cabernet Sauvignon.
By treating the fruit with care and gentleness during fermentation, they have produced richer, more supple wines that have caught the attention of critics and consumers alike.
In 1989, he became Vice President and Winemaker, his first opportunity to direct the winemaking program of a premium California winery.
In 1991, together with several partners, he founded Paul Hobbs Winery in Sonoma.
This winery specializes in craft wines and single vineyard wines from Napa and Sonoma.
The winery, designed by a top 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.
The estate produces ultra-premium wines from the acclaimed Marchioli Vineyard, made from old vines, as well as value-for-money, easy-drinking Felino and Bramare wines.
In 2000, he launched the Crossbarn brand, and now he has built brewing facilities in Sonoma and runs Crossbarn Winery, where he teaches brewing know-how to young winemakers.
In December 2000, Paul was named "Winemaker of the Year" by the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine and in 2004 he was named "Most important winemaker in California" by The Quarterly Review of Wines.
In 2013, the American economic magazine Forbes named him "The Steve Jobs of Wine."
More recently, the couple have expanded into growing Riesling in Paul's hometown of New York's Finger Lakes region.