About
Producing less than 2,000 cases annually and sold in a handful of states, Peter Paul Wines remains one of the industry’s stealthiest wineries. One might not guess that our sources of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay fruit come from two historic & well-known vineyards in Sonoma, while our Napa wine program is crafted from handshakes & friendships with some of the most esteemed properties in the Valley.
From our appellation blends to our single-vineyard expressions, Peter Paul Wines showcase the sunny temperament of fruit grown along the California North Coast, while retaining the refined elements of each grape’s DNA and European heritage. Each wine offers the proper balance of fruit, savor, and structure that hits a sweet spot of ripeness without confection. Our wines are known for delivering density, richness, and joy while still saying “Please and Thank You.”
Thank you for giving our wine a try,
Martin R. Reyes, Master of Wine
Team
Peter Paul
Founder
Entrepreneur/philanthropist Peter Paul has a head for numbers. Currently chairman of Headlands Asset Management and chairman of The Headlands Foundation, Peter has been influential in the financial sector for more than 40 years. After he obtained his BS in Business Administration from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and his MBA from Boston University, his career took him to Southern California. Two years later, Peter “escaped” to northern California, where he founded Headlands Mortgage, which became one of the premier mortgage lending institutions in the US. A dozen years later, he took Headlands successfully through an IPO, and negotiated its merger with GreenPoint Financial. But his heart? That’s all about wine and philanthropy, and Peter turned his financial success into a way to pursue these two passions. His first introductions to wine came in the 1950s, while still living in his native New Hampshire: the first, a fine white Burgundy, handed him the match and a Chateau d’Yquem shared with his father ignited the flame of a lifelong love of wine. When his career took him to northern California—with some of the world’s finest wine regions in its backyard—Peter was able to spend weekends exploring Napa and Sonoma’s wineries and vineyards.
In 1999, his entrepreneurial drive changed him from wine lover to vintner as he and a friend who had recently retired from the wine industry became business partners in Grove Street Winery. With Grove Street, their vision was to produce affordable, super-premium Sonoma County wines, which they did to acclaimed success. Peter started his eponymous brand here, as well, to craft limited-production wines from select sites, starting with a Napa Valley Cabernet, and now including Chardonnay and Russian River Pinot Noir. In 2008, Peter sold Grove Street Winery to entrepreneur/vintner Leslie Rudd in order to focus on the Peter Paul brand and his ongoing philanthropic efforts.
Peter had launched the Headlands Foundation in 1995, to work to improve the standard of life for underprivileged children and their families in the Bay Area. He is a longtime supporter of many Bay Area nonprofits, including Food Bank of Marin, Marin Abused Women’s Services, St. Vincent’s School for Boys, Meals on Wheels and the Music Festival for Brain Health held at Staglin Family Vineyard. Peter is also a strong supporter of higher education. His financial support established the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics at UNH, which graduated its first class in 2013 and was ranked by Bloomberg Business as one of the top 100 undergraduate business schools in the nation. He is also a donor to and member of the board of trustees of Boston University. Peter Paul Wines have also given him another outlet for charitable giving.
In honor of the first class to graduate from the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, and to support his philanthropic efforts in New Hampshire, Peter created a special “Live Free or Die” (the NH state motto) Pinot Noir, which is available only to non-profit organizations, wine club members, New Hampshire residents, and UNH affiliates. He also continues to support Bay Area charities with proceeds from his Peter Paul Wines sales. As an entrepreneur and philanthropist, Peter understands the significance of growth and return on investment. But as a lifelong wine lover, the return he seeks with Peter Paul Wines is simply the pleasure that a well-crafted wine offers, and sharing it to benefit others less fortunate.
Martin R. Reyes
Master of Wine
A former senior buyer and importer for The New York Times Wine Club, Williams-Sonoma Wine, The Washington Post Wine Club and Global Wine Cellars, as well as consultant to The Michael Mina Wine Club, Martin Reyes knows the ins and outs of fine wine, from crush to consumer. Martin spent years going “off the tourist map” in the fine wine regions of the world, his wine knowledge and fluency in four languages put to good use his search for undiscovered treasures for club members. “It was an invaluable experience, beyond cultivating a network of producers. Being where the grapes were grown and working directly with those sources, I was able to delve into understanding how a fruit or wine from a particular terroir or vintage will ultimately reveal itself in the glass. It also gave me the insight to relay the story to the wine lover in a meaningful way.”
Shortly after being recognized in the Wine Enthusiast’s “Top 40 under 40 Tastemakers in the USA,” in 2015, Martin spent the harvest working at Salomon Undhof in Kremstal; this opened the idea of a possible new skill set of interest – winemaking. That experience serves him well now, as he guides the production at Peter Paul Wines. “The growers and producers who pour their expertise and artistry into their vineyards and wines to offer a distinct expression, those are the people I seek out. Neither of us look for the fastest or easiest answer necessarily, but share the common goals of a great wine and a fair price.” “So conveying that story about the families and soils of Bacigalupi or Terra de Promissio, and how those wines will evolve is meaningful to me. It contributes to the pleasure of discovery, which is what our customers look for.”
Martin received the title – Master of Wine (MW) – in the spring of 2018, having passed the practical (tasting) portion on his first try and theory portion the following year. A modified version of his MW dissertation related to the influence of crowd-sourced wine ratings on consumer behavior won Best Paper at the 2019 American Association of Wine Economists Conference in Vienna. Martin is one of only 51 MWs in the USA, and the first of Mexican descent in the world. Not to be confused with the Master Sommelier, the top restaurant-based (and better-known in the USA) credential, a Master of Wine holds the most respected title in the world for the production, business, and handling of wine.
Today, aside from helming production for Peter Paul, Martin judges for various international wine competitions, including International Wine Challenge, James Beard Awards, Decanter World Wine Awards and consults for a small client list of wineries and importers. In addition, he is involved in vineyard adaptation and mitigation research efforts in the face of the growing concern of climate change, serves as expert panelist for the Annual Wine Program at his alma mater, Stanford University, and occasionally teaches WSET courses for various wine schools in California.
Follow him on instagram: @reyeswine.mw
Trevor Smith
Vineyard & Wine-Making Consultant
Born and raised in Eugene, Oregon. Attended Texas A&M University and received a BA in History. After three years in the service began work in wine retail in Dallas, Texas before returning to Oregon and working in wine production. After winemaking stints in the Willamette Valley, Barossa Valley and Napa Valley he has settled in Sonoma County and joined the Peter Paul team in 2020.
Meghan Vergara
Brand Ambassador & Sommelier
Meghan Vergara is a Certified Sommelier with over 15 years experience working in world class culinary and wine markets such as New York City and Napa Valley. During her extensive Sommelier training and tenure at the some of the nation’s top restaurants she learned from the very best industry professionals, Winemakers and successful business owners how to create a top level wine experience that is unlike anything else.
Ms. Vergara has dedicated her career to the pursuit of excellence in wine knowledge. She believes in sharing the joy, beauty and craftsmanship of good wine and making it more fun to understand and take part in confidently at every stage of your wine journey! Meghan and Winemaker Martin have known each other for many years and Martin has played an inspirational role in Meghan’s career. She is thrilled that everything has come full circle and her and Master of Wine Martin Reyes are now working together on these wonderful Peter Paul Wines!